


Is this fate?

by nacholibreluvr2006



Category: Love Island (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff, Love Island: The Game Season 2, Sex, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Slow Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-20
Updated: 2020-12-01
Packaged: 2020-12-24 15:01:53
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 60,408
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21101408
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nacholibreluvr2006/pseuds/nacholibreluvr2006
Summary: AU - Sofia hires Bobby's Bakery to cater for an environmental activism brunch.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> hello! i've had so much fun writing this so far - i know it's only the first chapter, but i want this to be at least a couple chapters long, so please let me know if you enjoy it! i was obsessed with the idea of mc and bobby meeting on ~business~ and having to keep things ~professional~ bc i mean perfect recipe for a slow burn right?

“Rock, paper, scissors!”

“Paper beats rock, babe!” Her coworker smiled sweetly at her.

She groaned and threw her head back. “Poppy, are you really gonna make me go?”

“You lost fair and square, Sofia. You should’ve never agreed to it in the first place if you were gonna whine about losing!” She winked, and turned back around to her desk.

Their annual brunch was one of their most critical organized events of the year – it was a huge function in the UK’s nonprofit scene and one of the biggest environmental awareness events hosted in the nation. Essentially, It was their opportunity to coddle the moneybags and empty their pockets.

Non-profit work was fulfilling to her, but so hard. She accepted a low salary because she wasn’t in it for the money. The organization was one she’d kept her eye on all throughout college, so when she landed a job there, she accepted regardless of salary. There’d been plenty of ramen meals the past few months, but she couldn’t wish for a better job and wouldn’t trade the experience for anything else.

She’d been working at the nonprofit for only less than a year, but even she knew that event planning was tedious and insanity-inducing at times. And she’d just been stuck with the task of traveling to Glasgow and planning an entire event. From renting the space, to hiring a decorator for the space, to hiring entertainment, to hiring a caterer, she had to do it all. Alone.

The director of the nonprofit told the newest employees – Sofia, Poppy, Thomas, and Genevieve – that the brunch was a way for them to prove themselves. That was code for “Do well at this event and you’ll be promoted and get a raise.” Naturally, when she told them that, Sofia’s competitive spirit kicked in. They were each to head the planning for each date, in each country.

Their brunch event was essentially a tour of the UK. Each weekend, hosted in each country, they’d have an informative seminar led by the director in order to invigorate donors. That was usually followed by a couple of workshops on Saturday, which the older people at the organization were in charge of leading. They’d wrap up in the afternoon, and usually the director would take the VIP’s out to a swanky restaurant to get them drunk and happy so they’d commit to donating.

Was it an ethical practice? Probably not. Are billionaires who hoard their wealth when they could solve most of the world’s problems (including environmental issues) ethical? Definitely not.

Sunday morning was the most important part of the entire weekend. It’s the last day for donations, and the day where they (historically) get most of their revenue. She didn’t like the idea of hosting a snobby brunch for the elite class of Scotland – feed the rich to eat the rich was her mentality.

Thomas had claimed Ireland since he had family he could stay with in Belfast. Genevieve claimed England immediately, much to Poppy’s and her distaste.

They had to “rock, paper, scissors” for Wales, since neither of them wanted to make a long commute. Poppy won, and Sofia was stuck with Scotland. She was dreading having to work that far from the office without anyone’s support.

She glared at Poppy’s back. “I’m the one getting the shortest end of the stick,” she thought to herself. “Thomas gets to convert his planning trip into a family vacation, Genevieve gets to stay at the office and get ahead, and Poppy gets a closer commute.”

She took a deep breath and opened both my planner and laptop, ready to tackle the obstacles in front of her.

\----

She didn’t notice the time on the clock, but her stomach growled, warning her that it was time to take a break.

She closed my laptop and grabbed her purse. “I’ll be back in an hour, Poppy. If I’m late, please cover for me. Tell her I’ll stay late to make it up to her,” she said, jabbing her thumb in the direction of the director’s office.

Poppy nodded. “It’s the least I can do since I know you’re upset I got Wales,” she grinned, teasing.

Her temples throbbed. “Don’t remind me or I won’t get over it.”

She laughed. “I’ll remind you every day if it makes you more competitive, babes. I like a challenge.”

She left and called over her shoulder, “Trust me, babes, I’m going to put on the best brunch this office has ever seen.”

\----

She walked briskly down the street, as the cool fall wind whipped at her cheeks.

“I could do with a piping hot tea right now,” she thought to herself, shoving her hands into her coat pockets to warm them.

She could’ve taken her car to drive to the reliable cafe a couple blocks from the office, but she desperately needed a walk to clear her head and plan. She snagged a few post-it notes from her desk before she left so she could jot down any ideas she had during her break.

“It’s disgusting how much I devote my brain to my job,” she mused, fingering the post-it notes in her pocket. Even on weekends, she was catching up on environmental policy and writing op-eds about climate change to hopefully get published. She was definitely a workaholic, and it’d definitely affected her social life.

She’d casually dated here and there, and had plenty of one night stands, but nothing serious. She was turned off by men who took themselves too seriously and couldn’t make her laugh, but she was also put off by men who had no work ethic or aspirations.

Surprisingly, she’d found that there was a thin line between those types of men, and she’d constantly managed to only attract one or the other.

She didn’t know why her mind was wandering to the subject of dating. “Oh, yes. That’s right,” she thought bitterly. “My big assignment is going to take up so much of my time that I should factor celibacy into my life for the next couple of months.”

She was so focused on the chaos in her brain that she didn’t realize she’d run straight into a foldable chalk sign. She tumbled to the ground, and managed to shield her face from scraping the pavement, at the expense of her hands.

For a second, she convinced herself that what happened was so embarrassing that it didn’t actually happen. “I’m just napping at my desk and I’ll wake up in a few seconds.” she waited. Nope, she really humiliated herself.

“Whoa, hey, you okay?” she felt a hand on her elbow, helping me off the ground.

She pushed herself off the ground and gripped the arm of the stranger, slowly coming to face him. “I knew that sign was a bad idea.”

She blushed furiously and looked at the ground, avoiding his face. “I’m so sorry. I swear that I’ll pay for any damages to your sign.”

He chuckled. “No, if anything you helped me out. I thought the sign would be a liability.”

She finally met his eyes when she realized that he wasn’t laughing at her. “What’s your name?”

“Sofia,” she said, and visibly winced when she put her hand in her pocket.

“And I’m Bobby,” He reached towards my jacket, then hesitated. “Do you mind?”

She shook her head. “Not at all.”

He softly gripped her wrist and pulled it out of her pocket, gently pivoting it to face him. It was bloody and deeply scraped. “Christ! Come inside, Sofia, and let me get the first aid kit.”

He turned to walk in, and she finally looked up at the sign and her surroundings. The sign above read “Bobby’s Bakery”, and underneath, a banner that said “Now Open”.

She followed him inside. After her adrenaline and embarrassment finally died down, it dawned on her that she’d fallen for Bobby – and she really liked him.

\----

“This might sting a bit,” he said, his hazel eyes searching hers for consent. She was perched on a table in the back of his bakery, and he sat in a chair, their bodies in close proximity.

She nodded. “I know the drill.”

He chuckled, and poured peroxide on the scrape, catching it into a disposable cup.

She sucked in a breath, scrunching her nose – at the pain, but also at the styrofoam in his hands. Was this the right time to scold a stranger on the negative environmental impact of styrofoam?

He quickly rubbed neosporin on her wound, and slapped a bandaid on. “There you go! Good as new.”

She sighed. “I’m seriously so sorry about that. I know I probably looked like a moron tripping over a large sign. That was so embarrassing.”

“Look, you don’t need to worry about it. I’m just sorry that it happened,” he assured me. “Not bad for my opening week, huh?” He laughed.

Her eyes widened. “Shit, I didn’t think you’d just opened.” She pinched the bridge of her nose with the fingers of her good hand. “This day couldn’t get any worse,” She grumbled out loud, not intending him to hear.

“You okay?” He met her eyes with genuine concern.

“Honestly, no, but I don’t want to dump my problems on a stranger,” She said, and slid off of the table. “Thanks for your hospitality and understanding, though.”

“Well what if that’s how I want you to repay me?” he asked rhetorically. “To repay me for the ‘damages’ to my sign, you can accompany me to lunch, and tell me your problems over a cup of hot chocolate,” he grinned, the skin around his eyes crinkling. His dimple appeared amidst his freckled skin, and my heart fluttered in response.

“Sure, Bobby...”

\----

“Give me the rundown. Who is Sofia?” Bobby furrowed his brows and put a finger under his chin, trying hard to look like an intellectual.

She giggled. “Alright, alright. As long as you do, too.” She picked up her hot chocolate and took a sip. Absolute heaven.

She set her mug down and crossed her arms on the table. “My name is Sofia, and I’m an environmental awareness activist. I work for a nonprofit here in London, and I’ve been there for almost a year.” She started racking her brain for the basics. “I’m 23. I love film. I’m an Aries. My favorite cake is chocolate…” she trailed off, mind drawing a blank. “Um… is there anything else you want to know?”

“Are you single?” He smirked.

She laughed. “What a line!”

“A line? That’s definitely not a line, babe. I’m just curious.”

My heart thumped in my chest. “Yep. I am.”

“Can I ask why? You’re absolutely stunning. Any guy would be lucky to be with you.” She thought he was playing with her, but he looked genuine when he said it.

“I mean, why is anyone single?” she shrugged. “I’m always busy with work, and when I do go on dates, the guys are either super uptight and are repellent to jokes, or they’re lazy and have no drive.” She took another sip from the mug. “Plus, you’re just saying that because you think I’m cute. You don’t really know me. I could be undateable,” she teased.

He appraised her for a few seconds before answering. “No, honestly I wouldn’t say anything I didn’t mean. I can tell you’re a good gal.” He sighed. “I’ve had similar luck. I got out of a relationship a while back because she couldn’t handle my ‘baker hours’. She also cheated on me, so that might’ve been the biggest issue,” he cracked. “Sorry. I tend to joke about awful things that have happened to me. My therapist said it was a ‘coping mechanism’ or whatever.”

She smiled. “Yeah, same. I deflect a lot.” she gulped her hot chocolate. “Sorry about your ex. I know that was probably tough.”

He shrugged. “It definitely hurt, but loyalty means everything to me now.”

She nodded. “So what about you?”

“What about me?” He grinned. “I’m single.”

She rolled her eyes, trying to remain nonchalant, but feeling the betrayal of heat creep into her cheeks. “It’s your turn to elevator pitch, Bobby.”

He raised his eyebrows. “It’s my turn to what?”

“I learned about it in college. In that context, it means to sell yourself in a short amount of time. Like how short it’d be to take an elevator from the bottom floor to the top floor. It’s supposed to be for a potential employer, but…” she scrunched her nose. “You’re definitely coming onto me, so I guess you should convince me that I should give you the time of day.”

He cracked up. “Okay, let me plan this out for a second so I don’t look like a dunce.” He looked towards the window for a few seconds, deep in thought. She took advantage of it, tracing her eyes across his profile, taking in his chiseled, yet soft features.

“I’m Bobby, I’m 24, and I’m originally from Glasgow. I went to culinary school for a while and worked as a hospital caterer for a couple of years. I opened up a bakery with my best mates in Glasgow two years ago, and business was great, so I opened the store here in London this week. I love film, too, especially a cinema date. There’s nothing like popcorn and a movie,” He smiled cheekily. “You bringing up your favorite cake unprovoked really did it in for me. I thought you were beautiful before, but,” He smirked. “I guess you could say that you had me at ‘chocolate cake.’”

“Wait wait wait, Bobby shut up please,” she said, amidst an epiphany.

He mimicked zipping his lips and throwing away the key.

“Let me get this straight – this is your second store? Your first store is in Glasgow? And you make pastries? Do you cater?” she practically stumbled over herself to get the questions out.

“Yep, as a matter of fact we do! It’d be hard to do it here in London, since we just opened, but it’d go a lot smoother in Glasgow. Why?” He cocked his head to the side.

She quickly stood up and motioned for him to stand up, her arms outstretched. She wrapped him into a hug and jumped up and down. “Oh my god, Bobby, you’re a lifesaver!!”

“Uh… What’d I do?”

\----

She spent the rest of lunch explaining the situation to Bobby, even sampling a few of his brunch options.

She pulled out a loose post-it from her pocket, which he definitely teased her for, and exchanged numbers with him.

“In a couple of weeks, I’ll be in Glasgow for a week to secure a venue and check a lot of things off of my mile long to-do list,” she told him as she was scribbling her name, number, and social media handles on the small square. “You’re really saving my life, Bobby. I owe you one.”

“I’ll redeem that this Friday, if that’s okay with you,” He smiled, taking the post-it note from me, and stuck the sticky side of his to my forehead.

She took it off and grimaced. “We’re gonna be working together though… I don’t want my boss to find out that I’m going on a date with the guy that’s probably going to be catering our event. It’ll look like bribery or…” she trailed off, blushing.

He cackled, throwing his head back, his short dreads falling back. “Oh my god, Sofia, I don’t think your boss is gonna think you’re exchanging croissants for sexual favors.”

She giggled so hard that she snorted, momentarily clearing her mind of her anxieties.

“Besides,” he said, walking her out the front of the bakery. “If it doesn’t work out, no hard feelings. We didn’t know each other before this, and we’re doing business. But I think it’s worth a shot.” He outstretched his arms, beckoning her with his warmth.

She smiled, and leaned into his embrace. “Yeah. Let’s not mix business and pleasure.” She chuckled awkwardly.

She pulled back and looked into his eyes, sensing a shift in the air. She felt the electricity between their bodies, and desperately wanted to lean in and kiss his plump lips…

Ring, ring. Her phone took her out of the moment, and she grabbed at her coat pocket to ignore the fluttering in the deep pits of her stomach.

“Hello?”

“Sofia, heads up – we got like 10 more assignments while you were gone. There’s a ton of proofreading for the website and blog posts to sift through. Unless you want to be here all night, I’d suggest you come back soon.” Poppy said, obvious annoyance at the workload in her voice.

She scowled. “Yeah, I was just leaving. I’ll be there in 15.”

She hung up and turned to Bobby. “I gotta get back to the office. Just text me or call me and we can set up the… date for this Friday.”

He blushed slightly. It was so subtle that she might’ve imagined it. “I’ll call you tonight.”

He gently grabbed her wrist and brought her injured hand to his lips, kissing the bandaid softly. “See you later, Sofia.”

\----

“Come on, Sofia. I know you have a secret,” Poppy prodded, standing beside her desk as she grammar and spell checked pages of entries for the website.

“I can’t talk right now. I need to finish this before I leave.” she asserted, hoping she’d get off her back (since she was right).

“Because you have a date?”

She closed her laptop momentarily and turned to her. “No, I don’t.” A lie.

She raised her hand, a bright pink post-it between her pointer and middle finger. “This is why you’ve been absolutely buzzing since you got back from lunch.”

She snatched it back. “That’s an invasion of privacy, Poppy, and you know it!” She whispered angrily.

“Bobby is such a cute name. Did you meet him at lunch? Where did you go? When are you seeing him again?”

“Poppy, let it go,” She said, rolling her eyes.

She laughed. “Yeah, like I’d ever do that.”

“Fine. He’s a potential caterer. He has a shop in London and Glasgow,” she said, satisfied.

“Babe, there must’ve been a spark or something. You look too happy to have just met a caterer,” She scrunched her lip to the side. “You don’t have to talk about it with me, but you shouldn’t let this go, whatever this is. I haven’t seen you this happy, like, ever.”

She returned to her desk, and I sat at mine, speechless, but smiling.

\----


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sofia goes on her first date with Bobby, and the destination is a surprise! She's realizing that she likes him more than she should, so she has to set some boundaries for their relationship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank everyone so much for the feedback on the first chapter! i've had so much fun writing so far. :) i love au fics, and in this one i'm self-inserting ~just a little bit~. i hope that you all enjoy the second chapter! please let me know if you want me to keep writing (i'm up to the fourth chapter now, and i'm not sure how much i have planned). also, i apologize if i haven't captured bobby properly! i'm trying really hard but i don't think i'm doing him justice. :/ happy reading!!

She combed the mascara wand through her lashes, taking a second to revel at herself in the mirror. “You know, I honestly clean up pretty well,” she thought. Usually the insecurity buried deep in her brain constantly tried to overwhelm her, but she didn’t feel it as she got ready for the date.

She applied a quick red lip, and stood up, adjusting her top. Maybe a deep-necked bodysuit wasn’t such a great choice for a first date. She stuck fabric tape on the inner lapels of her top, and pushed gently onto her boobs. Going without a bra was a little daring for a first date, too, right?

She grew up as a chubby girl and was tormented endlessly for it. She grew into her body a bit over the years, but she was still chubby, so she was still picked on. It wasn’t until the latter end of high school that she took up dance classes at my local gym, so she dropped some weight. When she hit college, stress and anxiety dropped a few more pounds off, and after graduation, she forced herself to eat right and exercise.

She had an unhealthy relationship with her body her entire life, but she made sure to exude the confidence she felt because she spent so long treating herself horribly. Her brain was definitely wired to think the worst when she stepped in front of a mirror, but after the past year of unlearning the self-deprecating behavior, she started loving herself. It still came out every once in a while, so treating herself with kindness was the only way to combat those thoughts.

She swept her eyes up her body, taking in her thick thighs, wide hips, soft belly, C-cups, defined collarbones, and stopped at her plump lips. She smiled, revealing the small gap between her front teeth, and her slightly crooked bottom teeth. She snapped her mouth shut.

Yeah, Sofia had gotten past the body insecurities, but her teeth were another story. She’d been wanting to get her teeth fixed for years, but she was holding out until she got dental insurance. Thankfully, her job offered dental insurance to its workers after a full calendar year of employment – she just had to hold out for a few more months.

Her eyes fixed on her own, admiring the quick winged eyeliner she’d done, and then flitted across her freckled skin.

Bobby’s freckles seemed so intricately placed and purposeful across his nose and cheekbones. They looked like God himself had sprinkled angel kisses on his face.

“Mine look so muddled and oddly placed on my face and body,” she thought, grimacing. She’d never forget the one time in grade school where she was eating lunch with some classmates, and a girl told her to wipe her mouth because she had food on it – turns out, it was just the darker freckles around her mouth. Beyond embarrassing.

She heard her phone vibrate across the room, and practically ran to retrieve it. She answered it on the second ring. “Hello?”

“Hey.” She heard him smile through the phone.

“Hey, Bobby,” She couldn’t help but return the smile, wondering if he could hear it even though he couldn’t see it.

“You ready for our date?”

“Yeah, I think so. I just…” She trailed off. “I don’t really know if what I’m wearing is appropriate.”

He laughed. “Well, babe, this isn’t a job interview.”

Her heart threatened to burst through my chest at the pet name. She chose to move past it so that he wouldn’t know how much it affected her. “Duh, I know that. I just don’t want you to get the wrong idea.”

After a silence that was a little too long, he said softly, “I’d never push you to do something you wouldn’t want to do. And I’d never think bad of you if you said no.”

She’d dealt with many men who believed that a low cut shirt meant that she wanted them to grab her tits, and a short skirt meant she was ready to spread her legs. But after hearing the kindness and sincerity in Bobby’s voice, she realized she’d be safe with him.

“Thank you, Bobby. That means a lot to me.”

After another lull, he broke it by saying, “Good thing you’re ready, because I just pulled up in front of your flat.”

Her eyes widened, and she went to my window to sneakily peer out of the curtains. Bobby waved back at her, grinning. “Did you just try to sneak just then?”

She closed the curtains quickly. “No, definitely not. I’ll be down in a sec.” She hung up as Bobby laughed.

She grabbed her clutch, threw on a faux fur coat, slipped on her heels, and hurried out the door.

\----

On the elevator ride down, her mind wandered to her first phone conversation with Bobby. After she’d given him her number, true to his word, he called that night.

“You. Me. Dinner. Friday. 7.”

“Wow, no greeting? Very forward. Not sure how that’s gonna work out for you,” she laughed. She was in the middle of doing a facemask and painting her toenails.

“You seem like a girl that doesn’t fuck around, so I cut the shit,” he said matter-of-factly.

“Did you just discover curse words today, Bobby?” She cackled, almost dropping the bottle of nail polish on the carpet.

She heard him chuckle. “Okay, I know I’m trying a little too hard right now. But you can’t blame me. I really like you.”

She blushed underneath the facemask. “How are you so sure, though? You just met me.”

“Well, I think I really like you. I can tell that I’ll like you a lot. That’s why I want to go out with you.”

She had no idea what to say. She felt the same way, but didn’t know how to express it. A “same” wouldn’t suffice. “My answer is yes. I’ll see you on Friday.”

He whooped. “You have no idea how happy you’ve just made me, lass.”

Her brows furrowed in confusion. “Lass?”

“Oh I-I don’t. I-” He fumbled for a few seconds before saying, “I’m sorry, it’s just a pet name I use for girls I really like. I promised myself I wouldn’t use it until I asked for permission first.” She could feel him blushing through the phone. “I’m sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable.”

“No, no. I honestly really like it. It’s cute,” She assured him. She usually was really turned off by men who thought “sweetheart” and “babe” were compliments, when in reality they were usually used to talk down to me.

“Well, ok, lass,” he emphasized, “I’ll pick you up on Friday.”

\----

She stepped off the elevator into the main lobby, her heart rate picking up as she tried to focus on her breathing.

“You’ve got this, Sofia,” she thought to herself. “It’s just a date. You’ve done this plenty of times before” She popped a mint in her mouth, lipstick-checked her teeth, and strutted out to Bobby’s car with a burst of confidence.

Bobby was leaning against the side of his car, his hands in the pockets of his pleather jacket. His face lit up when he saw her. “You look incredible,” he grinned, his eyes raking across her body.

She fiddled with the lock on her clutch. “Thanks. You clean up well,” she said, struggling to take the compliment and give an appropriate response, while also trying to keep her legs from turning to jello at the sight of his casual wear.

“Thanks,” he said quietly, and he gestured to the passenger’s side door. He opened it and she slipped in, noticing that his cheeks were slightly pink.

She put the seatbelt on and situated her outfit. She could feel her thong riding up and grimaced. She knew she wasn’t going to sleep with him, but she chose sexy undergarments. For him? Or to boost her self-confidence? She had no idea.

“Why do you look so grossed out?” He said, slipping into the driver’s seat.

“My outfit is a bit uncomfortable.” A little bit of a stretch, but she didn’t lie.

He put his hands up in defense. “You didn’t have to wear something so stunning on the first date. I’m just glad you didn’t ghost me.”

She chuckled. “I’m usually the ghost-ee, not the ghost-er.”

He nodded. “Same. Girls usually decide pretty early on that I’m just a close guy friend. I don’t mind it, since I have some amazing lady friends, but it’s not been great for my dating life. It’s like I repel sexual attraction or something.”

“I’m sorry. If it makes you feel any better I don’t see you as a friend.” She shrugged.

“Is it because you don’t see me as anything at all?” He smirked.

“Damn, you beat me to the punchline.” She grinned, glad to relieve the awkwardness a little bit. “You didn’t tell me where we’re going.”

“That’s because it’s a surprise, lass.”

There he went with the pet name again. For a split second, Sofia imagined him moaning it in her ear. “Are we almost there?” She squirmed, trying to relieve the sensation in the deep pits of her stomach.

“Yeah, but would you open up the glove compartment and put on the sleep mask? Sorry I couldn’t find a proper blindfold.”

“I don’t want to ruin my makeup, Bobby. I worked hard on my eyeliner.”

“Okay then,” he smiled. “Can I trust you to close your eyes until we get there?”

She shut her eyes tight. “I’m not peeking, I swear.”

After a minute or so of small talk to catch up on their couple of days apart, she heard him put the car in park. “Don’t open your eyes, but we’re here. I’m gonna help you out and lead you inside.”

“Bobby, I can’t walk into a crowded restaurant with my eyes closed.” He said nothing. “OH.” Did he rent out a restaurant for me? Surely he didn’t do that for the first date - that’s crazy.

He helped her out of the car, gently putting his hand on the small of her back to guide me and holding my hand with his other. “Okay so we’re gonna walk forward for a bit, and I’m going to open the door and help you through.”

The electricity she felt in his touch was overwhelming. She knew she’d be disappointed when he took his hands off of her.

She felt them walk into a warm room and was overcome with the smell of bread. She shivered a bit at the change of temperature, and asked, “Can I open my eyes yet?”

“Wait, let me do something real quick!” She heard his shoes patter against the floor, and soon soft, sultry music was filling the air. After hearing a few flicks of a lighter, she said, “Bobby, please, can I open my eyes? I’m worried.”

“Open.”

She opened her eyes to rose petals sprinkled on the tablecloth and floor. The table was set with plates and silverware, with a bucket with champagne as its centerpiece. Bobby had organized an intimate candlelit dinner in the center of his bakery.

“Oh, Bobby,” She wanted to sound happy, but my voice wavered, betraying my feelings.

“Do you not like it?” His face fell a bit, but he quickly recovered. “If you want, we can go to a club, or I can cook for you at your place or-or maybe we can go to see a movie?”

“No, no, this is perfect. This is genuinely the sweetest thing anyone’s ever done for me,” her vision clouded with tears, but she leaned back and blinked furiously to evade ruining her eyeliner.

He strode over to me and gathered me in his arms. “I told you I have a good feeling about you. I’ve gotta do it big, eh? I can’t wuss out and just take you to a boring restaurant on our first date.” He teased, kissing the top of her head.

She leaned back a bit and looked into his eyes. She probably could’ve skipped dinner at that point, and went straight to sex, but she knew better. As much as she liked Bobby, he was a potential caterer for the biggest event of her career, and she knew she couldn’t sabotage their professional relationship because she hadn’t been fucked in weeks.

She’d been staring for a little too long, because Bobby broke the silence by “booping” her nose.

“Boop,” he grinned, softly touching the pad of his pointer finger to the tip of her nose.

She scrunched up her nose while smiling. “Boop?”

“Yeah, I said what I said. ‘Boop’,” he smirked, let go of her, and walked back to the table, pulling the seat out just a bit.

He handed her a menu, which was entitled, “Bobby’s Special First Date Menu.” He’d printed out the text and doodled in the margins. King Kong was on the top of Big Ben, holding… her, presumably, and there were a surprising amount of Superman signs that they’d learned in grade school. He had drawn a couple of flowers and hearts, as well as himself piloting a jet so that he could save… her from King Kong. “This is incredible. I’m gonna keep this,” she said, hugging the menu gently to her chest.

He laughed. “That’s amateur. Just wait till our next date and I whip out my rendition of the Mona Lisa. Then you’ll have something to keep. And frame.” He was still standing next to her.

“Are you gonna sit down?”

“I have to be the waiter and the date, lass. I’ll sit down after the job is done,” he grinned.

She glanced back at the menu and saw that there was only one item, which was a ploughman’s lunch. “Do I not get any options?” She said jokingly.

“Sorry, that was the only downside to coming here. I bought the stuff in advance and already prepped it. I was hoping that you liked it, because other than that I can give you some bread or cakes or something else sweet,” he looked away sheepishly.

“No, I actually love it. I was just curious.” She smiled. “It’s one of my favorites.”

He mirrored her smile. “Let me go grab our dishes and I’ll be back in a sec. Wait till I’m back to pop the champagne!” he hurried away.

He was back in a flash with two plates. He set those down, dashed back to the kitchen and brought back a basket of bread and butter.

Her mouth watered at the smell of fresh bread. “You’ve really outdone yourself, Bobby.” She grabbed a piece of bread, buttered it up, and took a large bite. “Mmmm.”

Bobby watched her, grinning widely from ear to ear. “I made that myself, you know.”

“Yeah, I thought that much.” She laughed. “You know this is your bakery, right?”

He cut off the end of my sentence by popping the champagne. “What was that? I couldn’t hear you over the bubbly.”

\----

They dug into their food and chatted about their lives for a while. She learned that Bobby was a middle child; he had a younger sister and older brother. His parents were still together, and they loved each other deeply. He’d said that he had such high standards for a relationship because he wanted what his parents had.

His bakery in Glasgow had only been open for a couple of years before it blew up in popularity because a popular food blogger wrote a story on it and gave them high praise. After he’d found out that a significant chunk of his customers were taking a train from England to get his pastries, he knew it was time to expand.

She told him that she had always dreamed of helping people, but when she got to uni, she realized how she’d do it. She thought she would end up as a nurse, but after participating in “green week” on campus, she changed her major and didn’t look back.

“I didn’t think I’d land my dream job at my dream company this early in my life. Obviously I want to work my way up, but I’m so happy where I am right now,” she said, taking a sip of champagne. “That’s why I really need the brunch to go smoothly. Better than smoothly. Swimmingly.”

He smiled. “So you’re planning on using me?”

“No, not using you like that. I like you.”

He snorted. “No, I meant hiring me for the event. But for the record, I like you too.”

Her face reddened and she covered her face with her hands. “Jesus, I should’ve laid off the champagne.”

She felt his hands pull hers away from her face. “I knew what you meant, lass. I was just teasing.”

The back of her throat burned, like a cry was close. She had no idea why she wanted to cry. Maybe because she knew she couldn’t be with Bobby like she wanted? Since she had to keep everything professional?

She had to come clean with him and set the boundaries of their relationship.

“Bobby, I need to get serious with you for a second.”

His face fell a bit, and she shook her head. “No, no, no it’s nothing bad, I just need to get something off my chest now before we go any further.”

He nodded. “Of course.”

She finished off the rest of the champagne in her glass and then took a deep breath. “I like you way more than I should. I know it’s early, but I can tell that I’ve connected with you more than any lad I’ve ever met. I don’t know what that means for us later, but now I have to set some parameters for our… relationship. I told you that I really need this brunch to go well. Honestly, I think that pursuing something with you throughout this super hectic time in my life isn’t fair for either of us. I’m scared that my coworkers and boss will think that I picked you to cater for us since we’re romantically involved. I’m scared that I’ll flop at this event if I have any distractions.

“I’m scared of the possibility that my feelings will get so intense that it’ll affect my work, and right now, work is my priority… so… I can’t date you right now. I understand if you want me to leave, and if you want me to find someone else to cater the event, but I just can’t jeopardize my chances to get ahead at my job. I’m sorry if that’s selfish.”

She finally made eye contact with Bobby, and he was smiling softly at her.

A silence passed between them. It was a little too long, but there was no tension or ill feelings in the air.

“I like you a lot, too. Way more than I should.” He stood up, and pulled her up from my chair, gathering her in his arms. “I’m not gonna give up that easily, lass. If I have to wait, I’ll wait. And you bet I’m going to cater the hell out of that brunch.”

He pulled back a bit and looked into her eyes. “You’re not selfish. You’re determined. I admire that.”

She laid her palm on his cheek, and stroked his freckled cheekbone with her thumb. “You’re godsent, Bobby.”

\----

Soon after, they were back in his car, heading back to her apartment. He’d been so much more understanding than she’d expected. Her best case scenario didn’t even get close to what actually happened.

She had the urge to intertwine his slender fingers in her own. She hated the situation she was in, because so many gals in her situation would’ve never set boundaries in the first place, so they could do simple things like hold hands.

Sofia couldn’t blame anyone for her sexual frustration but herself and her conscience.

He parked, and she began opening the door. “No, lass, lemme get that.”

He ran around the car, opened the door, and helped her out. “You know you don’t have to do that for me every time.”

“I know. But I want to.”

He walked her to the front door of her flat. She fished her key out of her clutch and turned to him. “Thank you so much for a perfect date, Bobby. It’s the best date I’ve ever had.”

He smiled, and wrapped his hand around her own, and brought it to his lips, pressing them tenderly on her knuckles. “I know we just got done setting boundaries, but I have to ask. Can I kiss you?”

She laughed. “It’d definitely be the perfect ending to the perfect first date, that’s for sure.”

He cocked his bushy brow at her, waiting for my response.

She shouldn't have said yes, because she knew it’d complicate things further, but she couldn’t resist. Her heart spoke before her brain had time to register what she was saying. “You can kiss me.”

She leaned her back against the front door, and he stepped towards her, his body pressing against hers. She felt the heat of his body through his button up, and she desperately wished she could have his bare chest pressed against hers.

He leaned in, and pressed his lips against hers tenderly, her lips settling into the divot between his top and bottom lip like a puzzle piece. The buzzing between their skin intensified, and she closed her eyes, relishing in the moment.

She opened her mouth to allow his tongue entrance, and wrapped her arms around his neck.

He gently wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer, deepening the kiss.

She sucked on his bottom lip, eliciting a soft growl from deep within his throat. She pulled back and grinned. “I didn’t expect that from you. I’m usually the vocal one.”

He kissed her nose. “Yeah, you’ll have to show me that sometime.”

She scrunched up her nose. “Was that another line?”

He kissed her sweetly one more time, wiggled his brows at her, and turned to head down the stairs. “You decide.” He got to the end of them and said, “That was the best date I’ve ever had. I can’t wait till the brunch is done so we can resume that kiss.”

He winked, waved, and got into his car, driving off into the night.

As soon as she got into her flat, she blew air out of her cheeks.

“That was hands down the best kiss - and date - I’d ever had,” she thought.

It was going to be a rough couple of months.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sofia prepares for her road trip to Glasgow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank yall so much for the love so far! i'm feeling super encouraged to keep writing, and i have a lot more planned for this series - it's really just getting started!
> 
> i've had this chapter written for a week or so, and i could've posted it, but i like the consistent weekly posting schedule because it gives me time to reflect and sit on everything i've written. please let me know if you want me to post more frequently! i have a few more chapters written that i'd be happy to post already if y'all want it! :)
> 
> again thanks so much for the support and happy reading!! :)

A couple of weeks later, she was packing her car for the week-long trip to Scotland.

She thought taking a train would be cheaper, but her boss thought it’d be smarter to bring her car to drive herself around rather than blowing all her money on taxis.

She locked her door and headed down to the car, checking one last time to make sure she wasn’t forgetting anything.

Yeah, she was getting reimbursed for anything she spent, and she was getting paid to travel for work, but she had to do her normal desk work from a hotel without any help, and she had to do a couple of months’ worth of tasks in a week by herself.

She had written an itinerary for what she needed to get done each day, and factored in travel days too.

She had about 100 things to do once she got there, and it was 7 hours by car to Glasgow. Plenty of time to overanalyze and stress.

She was dreading the drive, since check-in was 3 p.m, she had to leave at 6 a.m. so that she could factor in the drive but also any possible setback, every food break, every bathroom break… she sighed defeatedly. It was going to be a long week.

She checked the time: 5 a.m. “Thank god I’d packed last night,” she thought. “I’d have enough time to grab breakfast and hit the road before traffic –”

Her phone vibrated in her pocket. She grabbed it quizzically; the only people that’d be calling her this early were her parents if there was an emergency. “Oh my god, who died?” her heart raced.

She read the caller I.D. “Bobby” was displayed at the top of the screen with a couple bread emojis next to it.

“Hello?” She answered, her heart still pounding, but not because of her anxious thoughts before..

“Hey, Sofia. Did I wake you?”

“No, no, I was just about to leave to eat some breakfast before I get on the road for Glasgow.”

He sighed with relief. “Okay, that’s good news.” He hesitated. “I have something big to ask of you.”

She groaned a bit. “Please tell me you don’t need a favor right now. I’m going to be so anxious if I’m late to get on the road.”

“Well, it’s kind of a favor, but one that won’t make you late.”

She waited for him to continue.

“So… I rented a car to get to London, but I forgot to extend the rental time, so I dropped it off, and have just been taking public transit. I need to get back to Glasgow today because the London store is finally getting in the groove but my best lad is sick and he needs me back to run it. I tried getting a last minute car, but they didn’t have any available –”

“Couldn’t you take a train?”

“Well, yeah… I could…” he trailed off, and she could practically hear the sheepish grin on his face.

“So why don’t you?” she pushed, curious as to what he was going to say.

Her pulse quickened, secretly hoping that he missed her as much as she did him. They had texted each other a bit here and there, and followed each other on social media, but hadn’t seen each other since the date. So they hadn’t addressed the elephant in the room – The Kiss.

She was eager to spend time with him, but obviously didn’t want to admit it. She told him she wanted their relationship to be strictly professional for fuck’s sake! But here she was, potentially about to be in an enclosed car with him for 7 hours. It’s like she enjoyed sexually frustrating herself.

“Well, I thought you’d need company. I remembered that you said you were leaving today, and it just matched up. It’s a long and grueling commute. I would know, I had to do it a couple of weeks ago.” He added, laughing awkwardly.

“That’s considerate of you, Bobby.” She smiled. “Would we be able to get on the road by 6?”

“Yeah! I’m all packed. I’ll do you one better though,” he said. “I’ll have some fresh pastries I just made ready for you when you come pick me up.”

“Yum,” she said, her mouth watering. “That sounds perfect.” She paused, unsure of what to say next.

“Well, I’ll see you in a few minutes. I’m excited to see you,” he said practically under his breath.

“Me too,” she admitted, and hung up.

She knew there was no way that they’d remain just friends. There were only two outcomes. One, they’d have a long and fulfilling relationship that could possibly end in marriage (a lifelong commitment). Two, they’ll have sex once or twice to clear the sexual tension, then eventually grow apart as friends, and stop speaking to each other once they find their person.

Realistically, their situation was probably 99% likely going to end in option two, but she couldn’t help but hang on to that 1%, hoping that option one was in their future.

It was going to be a long week.

\----

She pulled up to the front of the bakery to see Bobby holding his suitcase in one hand and a Bobby’s Bakery takeaway bag in the other.

She rolled down the window and shouted, “Hey stranger!”

He laughed, and chanted, “Roadtrip! Roadtrip!”

She pumped her arm in the air in response. “You better be ready for the responsibility of the aux cord, Bobby!”

He scoffed. “Psh, babe, I’ve got a playlist for every occasion. Your speakers aren’t ready for this fire.”

He quickly packed up the car, grabbed both coffees, and they were on the road, earlier than expected.

As she pulled onto the highway, she rolled down the windows to feel the brisk air on her face, and Bobby plugged in his phone, ready to start off the roadtrip right. He started the playlist that he’d used on his way to London, and as soon as Rihanna filled the speakers, her eyes widened.

“You must be fucking with me, Bobby! How did you know that this is one of my favorites?” She shouted over the speakers, nodding her head to the beat.

“I dunno, I guess I’m just the best,” he yelled back, grinning at her.

Once the chorus hit, she was singing loudly and passionately, and Bobby was, too. She steered with one hand and used the other to gesture through each line for emphasis. She felt him watching her from the corner of her eye, but pretended not to notice. She wasn’t sure if it was out of adoration or humor, but it made her feel giddy nonetheless. After the song was over, he turned down the music to a normal volume so they could talk comfortably.

“Hey, stingy, feed me a bite! I’m driving,” she opened her mouth and leaned towards him, eyes still on the road. In the back of her subconscious, her brain screamed at her to cover her gap with her lip so he couldn’t see. She fought the feeling of insecurity back, trying to convince herself that he could care less about her teeth.

“Alright, alright,” he laughed. He pushed a piece of a croissant in her mouth, and she accidentally trapped his finger in her mouth. She pulled away and turned the music up, hoping that the gesture didn’t cause any unwarranted sexual tension.

She rapped along to the song for a verse or two, waiting for the flush in her cheeks to die down.

They’d been on the road for less than 30 minutes and she’d already managed to fuck up the mood. Of course she’d made it weird this early on. It only made sense that the universe was urging her to sleep with him, or make him uncomfortable around her – whichever happened first.

After the song died down, she turned down the volume to background noise level. “So, do you want to play a road game or something?” She said a little too enthusiastically. She was desperate to change the subject.

“Yeah, do you have a game in mind?” He asked nonchalantly, scrolling through his phone.

“Do you want to play 20 questions?” She shrugged, hoping that it’d keep them talking long enough to stop them from addressing the slight tension.

“I’ll start. Did you mean to suck my finger just then?”

So much for that.

Her breath hitched in her throat. “No, Bobby. I promise that I’m not trying to make this car ride weird. It was an accident. Also, that’s definitely not how you play.”

He chortled, and patted her leg. “Suuuuure.”

“Bobby! I swear you live to tease me.” She laughed.

“No comment on that one,” he shook his head. “C’mon, babe, hit me with anything.”

“Where do you see yourself in 5 years?”

She heard him suck in a breath. “Wow, you really wanted to get me back for the finger sucking question, huh?”

“I told you that I wasn’t into men that had no drive,” She teased.

“Let me behind the wheel then!” he joked, and she made the “ba-dum-tss” noise in response. “Well, it depends. On the work side, I see myself opening a few more stores and hopefully expanding my bakery’s brand. But on the social side, I see myself with a beautiful woman.”

She tensed up, but waited for him to continue. “We’re hopefully living, traveling, and reaching goals together.”

She glanced over and saw him softly smile. “That’s sweet, Bobs.”

“You came up with a nickname for me?” he gasped overdramatically. “That’s sweet of you, lass.”

“Yeah, yeah, don’t let it go to your head,” she giggled.

They asked a few more questions mostly about their “favorites” - everything from food, to movies, to travel destination, to memory.

Talking to Bobby was so easy for her. She hadn’t been able to be herself around a man in so long. Either they were coming onto her solely for sex, or they were more interested in talking about themselves and how smart they were that she tried to share as little as possible about herself with them. She hated the idea of a man that knew nothing about her capability using knowledge as leverage against her. She couldn’t count the times that a man acted like they knew more about her profession than her.

She didn’t feel like she had to impress Bobby. She felt like he was genuinely interested in her life and interests. He was so honest and easygoing, other than being unwilling to talk about heavier topics he was practically a glowing neon “OPEN” sign.

She’d never met someone like him; an open book, but so closed off about his feelings. She knew he couldn’t open to her just yet since they barely knew each other, but she hoped that he would confide in her when he trusted her more. She found herself wanting so desperately to gain his trust and to learn all she could about him.

It was a dangerous game that she was playing. “Why did I set these professional boundaries for myself, when I knew that I couldn’t abide by them?,” she thought. “And why did I resent Bobby for respecting me so much? Why couldn’t he just throw caution to the wind, take me to bed, and never look back?”

Oh, right. She “laid down the law” and told him not to pursue her until after the brunch event… which was months away.

She was going to have to propose some amendments to her law when the time was right. She had a gut feeling that she wouldn’t be able to stay away from him, and she’d have to swallow her pride and admit she was wrong later on. But not a second sooner.

For now, she could just bask in the comfort of their platonic relationship and enjoy it for what it was: reliable companionship and a connection she hadn’t had in years.

Sofia was someone who’d been struck with having bad luck in life, even worse so with dating. But for some reason, it felt like fate that she ran into the chalkboard in front of Bobby’s Bakery.

Maybe she was being dramatic, but she truly believed some cosmic force placed Bobby in her path because they needed each other. At face value, for a business opportunity, but in the grand scheme of things, she could feel in her heart that they’d be in each other’s lives for a long time. She wasn’t sure in what capacity it would be, but she knew that he’d always be there for her if she needed him.

They had been sitting in a comfortable silence for a while, only a couple of hours into the road trip. A soft R&B song played low in the background, and the low thumping of the bass caused her to zone out, leading to overanalyzing their relationship.

“Hey, do you want me to drive? You’ve driven for a while, and you’re looking pretty distracted right about now.”

Bobby’s voice took her out of the trance, and she blinked and shook her head. “Sorry, I was just thinking about the uh, planning.” She smiled. “I’m fine, really.”

He sighed. “Please let me drive. I won’t push it, but I think it’d be a good idea if we split up the driving.”

She glanced at the gas gauge, and it was close to empty. “Alright. Let me pull over at a gas station.”

She turned off the interstate and pulled into a quaint looking station. She put the car in park, and stepped out, stretching her arms above her head. “I’m gonna pay for gas and use the restroom,” She yawned, but it came out as gibberish.

He laughed at her as he got out of the car. “I didn’t quite get all that, but don’t even think about paying for gas.”

He snatched the keys from her and ran inside, leaving her in the dust.

\----

Bobby insisted she take a nap, so she did. It was one of the most comforting naps she’d ever taken. While she was drifting off to sleep, she felt him tuck a lock of hair behind her ear. It probably wasn’t a romantic gesture – at least she tried not to think about it like that too much. The only time a man pulled her hair back was roughly, and during sex, so it was a really sweet change.

A couple hours later, they weren’t too far from Glasgow. She only knew because Bobby started pointing out landmarks and towns where he had fond memories of.

It was endearing seeing his face light up at the sight of a town’s name. His childlike excitement really boosted her spirits for the last hour or so of the trip.

She grabbed the aux cord and pulled it out of his phone, and he gasped in mock offense. “You could’ve just said you hated the song and changed it, babe.”

She laughed. “No, I have a special song for us since we’re about to be in the city limits of Glasgow.”

She scrolled through Drake’s discography, and played “Hold On, We’re Going Home”. It was one of her favorite songs to belt out in the car, and it was quite literal.

Bobby’s jaw dropped, and he bumped his shoulders to the beat, and she rolled down the windows, cranking up the volume. “Perfect song choice, lass!” He shouted over the music, giving her a thumbs up whilst shoulder dancing.

“I got my eyes on you, you’re everything that I see,” she sang loudly, doing the ‘I’m watching you’ motion to Bobby. He cackled in response, cutting himself off from singing along.

“I want your hot love and emotion, endlessly. I can’t get over you, you left your mark on me. I want your hot love and emotion, endlessly,” she sang loudly, headbanging and body rolling. It took her a few seconds to realize that the lyrics hit a little too close to home.

She kept dancing and belting the lyrics, hoping that the song choice was more satisfying than the lyrics, and that Bobby wasn’t overanalyzing like she herself was.

After the last line, she turned down the volume and slumped in her seat, pretending to wipe sweat from her brow. “What a workout.” She glanced over to see a shadow of a smile on his face. She gave him a closed-lip smile in response.

“You’re really somethin’ else, Sofia. I didn’t think I’d ever enjoy a 7 hour road trip, but here we are,” he said, shaking his head. “And you’re really cute when you sing in my car. It’s a boop-worthy action.” He reached over and tapped her nose with the tip of his finger. “Boop.”

Her heart pounded in her chest. “Thanks. I definitely didn’t think you’d see that as cute.”

“You do a lot of things that I find cute. I won’t tell you what they are, though. I don’t want you to stop doing them.”

\----

They got to Glasgow with an hour to spare until check in. “C’mon, lass, let’s go grab lunch. I’ll whip you something up at my flat as a token of my appreciation.”

“Sure. Remember, I have to be at the bed and breakfast in about an hour and a half,” she warned.

“I know. It’ll be quick, I swear. Plus you’ll get to tour my bachelor pad,” he wiggled his brows at her, prompting her to laugh in response.

They pulled up to the flat in the heart of Glasgow. “Wow, city boy. I thought you were more of a country lad from all of your stories.”

He laughed. “Well, the change in salary was a huge factor in me moving here. Plus, it’s close to the bakery.”

She followed him up the stairs to his flat, smiling when she saw him fumbling nervously with his keys. “You don’t have to be nervous around me, Bobs.”

He sighed, and turned to me, his brows pushed together. “I’m sorry. I really don’t know why I’m nervous. I guess it’s because you’re the first girl I’ve brought back to my flat in a long time,” he shrugged.

She closed the space between them, wrapping her arms around his torso and burying her face in his neck. “It’s okay. I won’t judge… unless you have a blow up doll in your room or something like that.”

Her ear was pressed up against his collarbone as he laughed, and she heard his heartbeat pick up in the background. It was such an intimate sound since she was so close to him physically. It warmed her heart and made her knees weak. She wished silently that no one else could feel what she’d felt in that moment.

He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and kissed her face. “You know just what to say, don’t you?” He let go of her, opening the door and motioning for her to go in first.

She stepped in, and a sense of safety and coziness overcame her. His flat was relatively big for one person, but it was decorated with so much personality that she couldn’t mistake the place for anything other than Bobby’s home.

“Well, this is my living room. Do you want me to give you a quick tour before I start lunch?” He asked, setting down his luggage in the slightly cluttered living room.

“Sorry for the mess,” he said sheepishly, shoving his hands in his pockets. “When I pack for a trip it’s always a whirlwind of clothes and I never tidy up before I leave.”

“I’m honestly a little relieved.”

“Relieved, eh?”

“Yeah, I’m usually super organized and I practically live and die by my planner, but my place is so cluttered.” She shrugged. “I’m too busy with work to keep everything in order at home.”

He grinned. “Are you sure we’re not soulmates?”

Her hands clammed up. “Um, I… I’m not sure,” she fumbled over her words.

His face fell a bit. “Good thing I was joking,” he quickly recovered, and walked through a doorway next to them.

She mentally kicked herself in the ass, following him to the next room.

“Of course he was joking,” she scolded herself. “He has a sense of humor. Why wouldn’t that have been a joke? It was a spur of the moment quip! He wasn’t serious, and you’ve known him for a couple of weeks. There was no need to react like that. Get over yourself.”

“This is the kitchen, obviously. It’s where all the magic happens,” he raised a brow at her, seemingly unfazed at what just happened.

She paused her inner monologue for a second, realizing that he was speaking to her. “What?”

“I said… This is where the magic happens,” he delivered the joke again, less confident. “Are you okay? Is this about what I said back there?”

She shook her head way too vigorously. “No, no, it’s not that. I’m just tired from the trip, that’s all.”

“Sure…” he trailed off, and pushed away from the marble countertop he’d been leaning against. “Well, I’ll show you the rest of the flat.”

He showed her his dining room, bathroom, broom closet, and finally, the bedroom.

Her hands hadn’t recovered from his “soulmates” joke. They were slick with sweat when he gestured for her to walk in, her self-restraint waning by the second.

“... walk-in closet, and room for a desk. I don’t know what I’d need it for, but I thought it’d fill up space,” he gestured at the desk in the corner of his room, obviously a little awkward since she’d zoned out of the conversation multiple times since they’d gotten inside.

She don’t know why she was so nervous. She knew that they wouldn’t have sex. She knew that he wouldn’t pressure her to do anything she didn’t want to do. Was she nervous because she wanted to?

She’d never been nervous like this about the topic of sex. She usually had sex on the first date, if she gelled with them enough. She was no stranger to one night stands.

Was it hard because she saw a future with him? Or because she knew one time would never be enough?

“Sofia.” He said from in front of her, closer than she anticipated. He rested a hand on her cheek. “Seriously, what’s up? You told me not to be nervous, but now you’re acting nervous.” He stroked a thumb against her cheek. “Are you okay?”

She closed her eyes, leaning into his touch. She was enjoying it, but she was also trying to buy a millisecond of time so she could come up with a response as to why she was acting so odd. She couldn’t tell him the truth, so she settled for whatever was closest to it.

“I’ve just been stuck on what happened at the end of our date,” she opened her lids, searching his hazel eyes for understanding.

“The kiss,” he breathed, and glanced at her parted lips.

“I don’t know if it was a good idea, Bobs,” she whispered, feeling the space between their bodies close.

“Why not?” he asked, wariness coating his voice.

“Because I set boundaries for us and I broke them right away,” she said, squeezing her eyes shut again as a much needed confidence boost for what she was about to say. “And because it scared me. It made me like you so much more than I already did,” she whispered, waiting for his response.

“I’m sorry that I didn’t respect your boundaries right away,” he wrapped an arm around my waist. “But I’m not sorry about the kiss, lass. I felt it, too.”

She opened her eyes to Bobby’s face inches from her own. She leaned in, wanting desperately to close the space between their lips. She braced herself for a passionate kiss like their first date, and the possibility of finishing what they started.

He met her lips, kissing her softly, carefully, before pulling back. He met her eyes, and all she saw was adoration.

After a short silence, he spoke. “I really do like you, but I think that it’s best if we hold off on this,” he gestured between them, “until after the brunch. I want to get to know you without the complications of sex. I know that’s not what you expected to hear, but I know that there’s something between us, Sofia, and I want to see where it goes. I don’t want to ruin anything before it starts,” He said slowly, and she could see him struggling to put his feelings into words. “But for right now we’re just friends and business partners, and I’m okay with that if you are.”

She smiled, despite the disappointment in her heart. “That’s exactly what I wanted to hear.” She lied, and threw her arms around his neck, hugging him close.

She should’ve been excited that a man she liked wanted to get to know her before sex, before they even started a relationship, but she couldn’t get past the heaviness in her chest.

She didn’t know what she wanted from Bobby, and he didn’t know either. He tried clearing things up, but it just made the situation murkier.

\----

After a quick lunch at Bobby’s place, she pulled up to the quaint bed and breakfast that she’d researched and booked for the week.

She parked in gravel, and shuffled up the cement stairs to the porch. She rapped her knuckles on the door and wiped her feet on the welcome mat.

An older woman answered the door and opened it wide enough for her to walk in. “Hello, dear. How are you?”

“I’m fine, thanks. And you?”

“Wonderful. Thank you for asking. Do you have a reservation with us?” She said, stepping behind the tiny front desk and opening up a small journal, likely their reservation book.

“Yes, I do! It should be under the name ‘Sofia’,” she said, digging through her purse for her wallet.

“Oh, sorry dear, it’s not here,” she said, and her stomach dropped to her feet. “If I remember correctly, you tried to book it, but unfortunately, no one paid the deposit to keep the room. We called the number you listed a few times, and they didn’t answer, so we had to give the room to the next person on the list.”

Her blood started to boil in her veins. She couldn’t count how many times she told her boss that she needed to pay for the room because she didn’t have access to the company’s financials. Her boss was the only one authorized to use the company card. She even put her boss’s phone number down in case so they’d call her so she wouldn’t forget. She told Sofia she’d booked it.

“So sorry for the confusion. My boss was supposed to pay for the room and didn’t. Thanks for your hospitality anyways!” She was out of the door before the woman could answer, whipping her phone out and dialing her boss’s number.

“You were supposed to pay for the room. It was hard enough trying to plan for this as last minute as it was. There were practically no open rooms at hotels, so this was the best I could get, and now I have nowhere to stay,” she seethed, keeping her voice as level as possible.

“I’m sorry, I guess I got you confused with Poppy.” she said, unapologetically. “Stay at a motel for a couple of days. I’ll reimburse you when you get back to the city. I need to go. Someone important is on the other line.”

She heard the phone click, and she sat in the driver’s seat in awe. Her boss had never been that shady towards her. Maybe it was partially her fault, but to not even sound like she felt bad about displacing an employee for a week? She was taken aback.

Tears started to form in her eyes. She couldn’t afford to pay for a motel for a week. She was on a tight budget as it was. What the hell was she supposed to do?

Before realizing what she was doing, she had dialed Bobby’s number and was waiting for him to pick up.

“Hey, what’s up? How’s the room?” He asked enthusiastically.

A few tears slid down her cheeks, and she quickly wiped them away, composing myself. “So, I have bad news.” My voice cracked, betraying her.

“Sofia, what’s wrong? I can come get you right now. Anything you need,” he said, and she heard some shuffling in the background.

“My boss never paid for my room at the bed and breakfast. She’s expecting me to pay for a week at a motel, which I’m not sure even has any open rooms, and I can’t afford it. She said she’d pay me back, but I can’t afford it. She didn’t even sound sorry,” she was sobbing at this point, humiliated that she was in that situation.

“Babe, oh my god, I’m so sorry. Come over to my flat now. You have my address, right? You’re staying with me. I can’t believe she did that,” he grumbled, and she could hear his resentment towards her boss through the phone.

“No, I don’t want to inconvenience you. I just needed someone to rant to, and you’re the first person I thought of,” she sniffled. “I’ll figure it out. It’s not your problem to fix, Bobs.”

“That’s flattering, but I know you need somewhere to stay, and I know that I have a flat in Glasgow, and you’re in Glasgow right now. It adds up if you think about it,” he teased, trying to lighten the mood.

“I’ll pay you back somehow, I swear. I’ll clean your flat, do your laundry, cook for you, whatever you want,” she promised.

She recognized that she’d be torn about the situation when they had to sort out the sleeping arrangements, but for the time being she was just grateful she had a place to sleep.

“You don’t owe me anything, Sofia. I’ll order some takeout now, so it’ll be here when you get back,” he assured her.

“Bobby, I-” She had no idea how to articulate herself. “Thank you so much. You don’t know how much this means to me. I’m so happy you came into my life when you did.”

“Aw, lass, you’re such a sweetheart when you want to be,” he said, and she knew he was blushing behind the phone.

She didn’t know what she did to deserve Bobby; she was just thankful to have him.

\----

Less than an hour later, she had brought her bags up to his bedroom, changed into pajamas, and sat on the couch next to Bobby with a takeout box in her lap.

They’d turned on a random reality TV show – they’d both admitted it was a guilty pleasure of theirs.

“So, what’s on your to-do list for tomorrow?” Bobby asked, his mouth stuffed with pasta.

“Manners, Bobs,” she snickered, putting the container on the coffee table before sitting back and pulling the cover up to her chin. “I have to meet with a girl named Chelsea in the morning. She’s an interior designer, but she told me that she’s trying to branch out into decorating for events or something like that. I thought I’d kill two birds with one stone. She’s gonna help me scope out a venue and decorate it.”

“That’ll be fun. When do you want us to figure out the catering stuff?” he stuffed his face with more pasta.

“I guess we could figure it out tomorrow. I have nothing else to do besides the appointment with Chelsea.” She shrugged.

“Perfect. We can talk over lunch.”

They ate in silence for a bit.

“It kind of sucks, because after that I have like one or two meetings spread out over the week. I wanted to hit it all in a day or two, but I couldn’t book earlier appointments,” she sighed. “I might sightsee or something. Go to a pub. I’m not sure.”

Bobby practically slammed down his container on the coffee table. “Seriously? I thought your schedule was packed all week!”

She put her hands up in defense. “Jeez, I didn’t lie, Bobs. I have to do my normal work as usual, but I’m just gonna have a little more free time this week than I usually do.”

“Well, let’s play hooky one of those days. I’ll take you to see all of the beautiful Glaswegian sights, and then we can go out and do something social,” he snapped his fingers. “We can go to my favorite club. You can meet my friends! Oh, lass, I’m so excited!” He jumped up, and grabbed her hands, yanking her up from the couch.

She laughed as he pulled her to him, waltzing them around the living room. “I didn’t agree to this!”

“What a better way to get back at your boss then just –” he paused for a dramatic effect “– not doing any work?”

She scrunched her mouth to the side. “She did fuck me over…”

“Just say yes, Sofia! I swear I’ll give you the best day ever.” He picked her up and twirled me around.

“Yes! Yes! Just put me down, Bobby!” She shrieked. “I’m getting nauseous!”

He set her down immediately, and took her face in his. He was grinning so widely, like he was relieved. “Is he really this excited to spend time with me?” She thought.

“I was so worried that we’d get here and I wouldn’t see you at all,” his eyes practically twinkled. “But your boss fucked you over so you have to stay with me, and you’re free during the week?” He shook his head. “Someone up there’s looking out for us, eh?”

She closed the distance between them and pecked him on the cheek. “Yeah, someone definitely is.”

\----


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Under any other circumstances, she would’ve already bagged him and moved on to the next one. Maybe there was a reason they met the way they did. She was forced to slow down for once – she had been able to enjoy his company because of the boundaries she set. She was learning more about him every day, and it didn’t make her want to bolt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you guys SOOOO much for the positive feedback! it means so much to me that yall enjoy my au world! :') still not sure how many chapters there are gonna be since i'm still in the process of writing, but there's more to come.
> 
> i can't even begin to express how happy everyone on reddit and in the comments here have made me. yall have seriously motivated me so much and i appreciate it. i haven't felt this confident in a long time, so thank yall again so much!!! happy reading :')

Her alarm sounded off at 6 a.m. She stretched and rolled over to turn it off drowsily.

She stood up and walked to the bathroom, running her fingers through her hair to try and tame it. She turned on the sink and ran the water until it turned warm. She wet her face and scrubbed it thoroughly with her face wash. She leaned down to splash water on her sudsy skin.

She was guilty that she’d had such a good night’s sleep. Bobby insisted that she take his bed and he’d take the couch. She was relieved he’d offered, but sad because cuddling up next to him would’ve been a dream. His mattress was the perfect balance of firm and soft, exactly how she liked it. His pillows and comforter smelled like him, so she gladly wrapped herself in them and slipped into a dreamless sleep.

She heard a soft knock on the open door. “Hey, lass, are you –” he stopped abruptly.

She stood upright to wipe her face off with the towel. “Yeah what is it?”

She glanced at him through the mirror. He had turned around so he couldn’t face her, and she saw a faint blush in his cheeks.

She looked down and realized she was in her pajamas, which usually wouldn’t be a big issue. However, when your pajamas are a ratty sheer tank top that got wet in questionable places because of your skincare routine, minus the bra, plus your underwear, paired with a boy you’re sexually attracted to, is a problem.

“Oh, shit, sorry Bobby. I didn’t really think this through. I’m so used to wearing this in my apartment alone,” she bumbled, feeling more and more embarrassed by the second.

“No, no, it’s my fault for coming into the bathroom without asking first,” he said, and she saw him shifting from foot to foot uncomfortably.

She turned to face him, and he looked at her from the corner of his eye, refusing to turn towards her. She noticed his hand resting on his thigh, covering his crotch.

Oh.

“I’m just gonna slide past you and go change real quick,” she sputtered, scooting past him, rubbing her damp shirt and breasts on his arm by accident. It seemed like her talent was making situations more awkward than they needed to be.

She shut the bedroom door behind her and took her shirt off, quickly throwing on her outfit of the day. She applied makeup quickly, and ran a brush through her hair. After a few more seconds of procrastination, she decided it was time to face the discomfort, so she headed into the kitchen.

Bobby was in the middle of taking pastries out of the oven and plating them, presumably for her.

She watched the muscle in his forearm flex when he picked up the heavy pan and laid it on the stove. His back flexed as he bent down to grab plates for the warm pastries. She couldn’t stop staring at his hands, great at kneading dough, but maybe even better at –

“Sofia, you okay?”

She snapped out of her almost wet dream. “Yeah, I’m great. Those look great. They smell even better.”

“And they’ll taste the best,” he smiled, and it seemed like the awkward morning had been forgotten. Thank god.

She walked to the fridge and opened it. “Do you want something to drink? I’ll make something for us.”

He reached around from behind her to grab two bottled juice drinks for them. He could’ve just asked her to grab them, but instead he pressed his chest into her back, and her lower body ached in response.

“Yeah, these are two health drinks that I bought for myself, but you can have the other one. I don’t know if they’re good so don’t be mad if they taste like shit,” he chuckled, his dimple peeking out from behind his freckles.

They were still standing in front of the fridge, their bodies in close proximity. He’d stepped away, but she could feel his warmth from where she was standing.

She wanted so desperately for him to kiss her passionately and take her to bed, but she knew better. He’d reinforced the confines of their relationship by telling her that he wanted to get to know her, so she knew that sex was off the table. That didn’t stop her from wanting it though. The tension was building between them like a stretched rubber band, and it was going to snap if she didn’t restrain myself.

She stepped away from him and played it off as she was grabbing napkins for us, when in reality she had to get away or she’d do something she’d regret.

“So, are you still okay with meeting up for lunch to go through catering plans?” Bobby asked, after swallowing a mouthful of croissant.

“That works for me. You’ll just have to send me the address. I’ve only been to the London store, remember?” She teased.

“Babe, I’m not gonna make you eat at the bakery again. I’d love to take you out on a proper lunch date if you’ll have me,” he smiled, and placed his free hand on the table under hers, rubbing his thumbs across her knuckles.

“I’d love that, Bobs.” She grinned, and her stomach did backflips.

She hadn’t felt this giddy around a man in so long. Especially a man that cared about her enough to take her out on an afternoon lunch date. She usually went out with men at night, slept with them, and left before they woke up.

She found herself wanting to make him laugh just to see the way his eyes lit up. She wanted to make him happy. She wanted to feel wanted by him.

Under any other circumstances, she would’ve already bagged him and moved on to the next one. Maybe there was a reason they met the way they did. She was forced to slow down for once – she had been able to enjoy his company because of the boundaries she set. She was learning more about him every day, and it didn’t make her want to bolt.

\----

She sat in the waiting room of the office, scrolling through social media. Chelsea was 20 minutes late to their appointment.

“I’m sorry for the wait, miss. Chelsea said she’d be back soon,” The receptionist assured her.

She smiled. “Thank you.”

A few minutes later, a blonde woman burst through the doors with her purse and coffee in one hand, and a few shopping bags in the other. “Whew! You wouldn’t believe what happened to me while I was out, Sofia,” she said to her, matter-of-factly, like they’d been friends for years.

“What happened?” she indulged her, instead of complaining about her being late.

“So I was on my way back here for our appointment, and I passed by this mom talking to her daughter who looked super upset. I overheard her say ‘repeat after me: my current situation is not my final destination’. I dropped everything and wrote it down. It sounds like a cute quote to put on a canvas for your living room right?” she asked, and before Sofia could answer, she continued. “Then I went to go pick up coffee and I was chatting up the barista and told him I was in a rush, and he told me ‘Life isn’t a race, it’s a parade’, so I had to write that down too, because it was a perfect quote to sew on a pillow. That happened about 3 more times so that’s why I’m late. I hope you’re not mad.”

She grinned at Chelsea, and stood up, offering her hand. “I don’t mind at all. I’m just glad I’m getting to meet with you. I know you have a few offices around the UK, so it’s a blessing that I got an appointment.”

She dropped her bags on the ground and shook her hand. “You’re too sweet! I think we’re gonna get along swimmingly.” A bit surprisingly, she believed her.

She picked her bags up, and walked down the hallway into her office. “Follow me, Sofia! We have so much to discuss.”

\----

They chatted for about an hour, about everything from the venue she wanted, to decoration themes, to how their lives were going. She had a very bubbly personality and a genuine soul.

She could tell from their first meeting that she was an honest, no bullshit person. She needed someone like that in my life to keep her level.

She told Sofia that she usually lived in London, but traveled to her different offices when she could. She was stir crazy and having multiple offices helped tame her but satisfied her adventurous side.

They found out that her flat was 10 minutes from Chelsea’s, so she got her personal number so they could grab drinks when they were both back in London.

She felt like she had gotten a whole day’s work done in an hour. Chelsea was definitely exhausting, but she was so determined and compassionate that Sofia didn’t mind.

When she left the office, she’d gained a friend and a new sense of confidence. The anxiety she felt from the last day with her boss fucking her over was pretty much gone, replaced with a tenacity she hadn’t anticipated.

She checked the time. She had to meet Bobby soon. But first, she wanted to investigate her coworker’s progress.

She dialed Poppy’s number and waited for it to ring.

“Sofia! How’s Glasgow?” She heard her gearing up to tease her.

“Yeah, yeah, it’s miserable. I hate it. You happy?”

“It’s no fun teasing you if you know what I’m gonna say,” she laughed.

“Your favorite buzzkill just finished her first meeting for venues and decorations,” she boasted.

“Shit, you really are on top of the game,” she said. “Kudos to you!”

“Bathe me in affirmation! It’s my love language, you know,” she chuckled, unlocking her car and slipping in.

“You trying to figure out how far along everyone in the office is?” She could sense Poppy’s sly smile through the phone. “Let me move to an open office before I spill the beans.”

“Of course I am! I’m the first one out of us four to leave the office for a trip like this.” She started the car and blasted the heat.

“Well, Thomas is doing next to nothing. His trip isn’t for weeks. You know he planned it to be the week before our Christmas holiday? He’s such a knob head,” she said. They both knew Thomas was lazy at work but worked overtime to get out of doing things.

“Are you fucking kidding? That’s not fair,” she grumbled.

“Genevieve is surprisingly struggling with everything. The event isn’t for months, but she’s having a hard time finding an open venue this ‘close’ to the date,” she whispered.

“Wow. I feel bad for her. That could’ve been us, you know,” Sofia sighed, relieved.

“Yeah. Maybe we got the better deal,” she paused. “Maybe you got the better deal.”

“What do you mean?”

“I overheard one of the accountants saying she heard that the boss didn’t pay for your hotel. She fucked you over big time, Sofia.”

Heat rose in her cheeks. She wondered if the whole office was on her side and if their boss was sorry. She also wondered if Poppy put two and two together.

“So you’re staying with the Scottish baker boy, right?” She pressed.

“Poppy! How did you find out?” She gasped.

“You didn’t think I’d look up a bakery that just opened nearby here? It wasn’t hard to find. He’s dreamy. You should go for it.”

“You’re so unashamed,” She paused, and Poppy waited, prompting her to continue. “Okay, yes. I had a breakdown after I found out through the lady at the bed and breakfast that I was pretty much homeless. Bobby was the only person I knew in this country, so I called him and cried and he offered for me to stay at his flat.”

She squealed, and she pulled my phone away from my ear. “Ow,” she grumbled.

“Oh my god, you’re so lucky! This is a plot to a romance flick, I swear. If you fall in love with him and get married, you owe it to me to mention me in your biography. I’m the one egging you on to fuck him.”

“Poppppyyyy,” she groaned, smiling a little. She was glad she couldn’t see her face. “I can’t do anything like that with him. I like him, but I can’t sleep with someone I’m going to work with. Even if it’s just for an event. If we have sex, and things go south, what if he bails on me? It’s not a good idea to get involved right now.”

“You’ve kissed him, haven’t you?”

“How’d you know that?” She freaked out slightly. Was she psychic?

“I didn’t know, but you confirmed it for me. I didn’t even have to lift a finger.” She laughed.

So much for psychic.

“You’re the worst. If we have sex, you’ll be the last person to know,” she muttered.

“You know you love me. I’ll be waiting for the details. My bet’s on later this week. Probably before you leave to head back,” she said nonchalantly.

“I won’t sleep with him until this is all over and done with. If he’s even still interested.” She felt sad thinking about the possibility of Bobby losing interest in her.

“He won’t, hun.” She said it so matter-of-factly, that Sofia believed her.

\----

She stuck the nozzle in the gas tank and clicked the handle up so it would automatically fill up. She shivered and pulled the zipper up to her chin.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket. She pulled it out to see Bobby’s name (plus bread emojis) displayed on her screen.

“Hello?”

“Hey, lass! You all done with your meeting with Chelsea?”

“Yeah, I just got done. I’m filling my car up right now,” She stuttered, her teeth clacking together as she talked.

“Sorry about the weather. Glasgow isn’t forgiving with its coldness and wetness,” he apologized.

“I really don’t mind it. Rainy days are the perfect comfort days. A good book or movie, cozy pajamas, a warm blanket, a mug of hot chocolate, with soft rain as a background noise? Perfection.” I smiled to myself. I learned to appreciate the small things when I could, and that experience was one of them.

“We’ll have to do that sometime this week,” he said, then paused. “Thanks for that.”

“Thanks for what?”

“I’ve lived in Glasgow my whole life, so hearing a positive take on the weather makes me happy.”

She heard the nozzle’s handle click. “Well, are we gonna go to lunch or what?”

He laughed. “What, are you hangry?”

She stayed silent, putting the nozzle back on the pump.

“Please don’t be mad at me. I’m sorry. It was a joke,” he pleaded with her.

She clamped her hand over her mouth to try to suppress her cackling, but he definitely heard her.

“You really had me going, lass. I’m gonna send you the address now. Can you be there in 20 minutes?” he asked.

“Yeah. I’ll see you in a sec.” She slipped back into her car, ready to hang up.

“I’m really glad you’re here with me.”

She laughed. “I’m not with you right now, Bobs.”

“Yeah, but I mean like… You’re in my hometown, staying with me, and we’re spending time together…” He trailed off, clearly struggling. After a beat of silence, he said, “And I like it. I’m shocked at how much I love spending time with you. I’m just… happy that everything fell into place like it did.”

She sat there, her key in the ignition, mouth agape. She was completely stunned. She knew it was hard for him to talk about his feelings in general, so this was huge. “Bobby, I –”

“I’m sorry, I know that was a mistake. I shouldn’t have said that. I hope I don’t make our lunch awkward,” he whispered, and she could feel his confidence shrinking by the second.

“No, I’m just amazed. That was really sweet. And I feel the same. Thank you.” She unzipped her jacket, feeling the heat radiate from my neck and cheeks.

“No prob. I’ll see you in a bit. Bye, Sofia.” She could hear him grinning through the phone.

\----

She shuffled into the cafe-style restaurant, wiping the muddy sludge off her shoes onto the door mat. She shrugged her jacket off, and headed over to Bobby’s table, where he sat, waving at her.

He stood up when she reached the table, and wrapped his arms around her. She melted, hugging her arms around his waist. She inhaled, smelling a mixture of fresh bread and cologne on his shirt.

“Mmmm,” She said out loud, not meaning to.

“Babe, are you smelling my shirt right now?”

“If I admit it, is it more or less embarrassing?” She pulled back and looked into his eyes, cocking her eyebrow.

“It’s not embarrassing at all. I smelled your hair when I hugged you just then, but I didn’t make a noise,” he grinned.

“We’re too similar, Bobs. It’s scary,” she laughed, and sat down.

“I think it’s a good thing,” he shrugged. “I’ve never met a girl I can really get on with the way we do. Most gal friends I’ve made are friends with me until they get a boyfriend. So it’s a nice change to have someone that I’m friends with that might also be into me.” He smirked, revealing his dimple.

“Yeah, it’s really nice to be friends for now. I’m glad we’re not rushing anything between us,” She smiled, taking a sip of her water. It wasn’t a lie, but it definitely was far from the truth.

She didn’t even know if he wanted to have sex with her. There was tension between them, and she knew he thought she was attractive, but he hadn’t tried anything on with her.

She had to know if he was into her. Operation ‘Does the Baker Want to Bang Me?’ was a go.

Their waiter stopped by and they ordered their food quickly.

She picked up a warm roll from the basket in the center of the table. “Can I ask you a question? And I want you to answer it honestly. Don’t spare my feelings.”

He quirked a brow at her. “Fire away.”

She grabbed a knife and started lathering butter on the bread. “In this moment, right now, if I asked you to, would you have sex with me?”

His jaw dropped. “Sofia, I-I…” he trailed off. “I don’t know how to answer that.”

She shrugged. “It’s simple. Emotions and boundaries aside, would you have sex with me? Right now?”

She inched the roll into her mouth slowly and bit into it, keeping eye contact with Bobby. He watched her every move.

She moaned softly, and fluttered her lids. She chewed slowly, and licked her lips, setting the roll down on a napkin. “Wow. That was delicious.”

She could see the lust cloud his vision. After a few seconds of silence, he spoke. “Yes. I would.”

She opened her mouth to respond, and he cut me off. “But I couldn’t. You mean a lot to me, and as much as I’d love that, I know it’s better if we don’t. Maybe we can someday, but we can’t do it now.”

Guilt clouded the smug, triumphant feeling she’d just had. She abused Bobby’s kindness because she wanted to test their boundaries. Just so she could force him to admit his sexual attraction to her. She was a terrible person.

She felt tears well up in her eyes. “I’m so sorry.” Her chin quivered uncontrollably. She barely got the sentence out before her chest heaved, prompting the tears to streak down her face.

“Babe, what’s wrong? Please tell me, I’m right here,” Bobby leaned forward and grabbed her hand, panic written across his features.

She lifted her napkin to her lower eyelids and dabbed softly, trying desperately to regain composure.

“Um…” She looked towards the ceiling, blinking her eyes, attempting to apologize without crying. “I can’t even begin to apologize for how I just acted. I’m so embarrassed. But above all that, I tried testing you, when all you’ve done is respect me. I tried to get you to slip up. And you’re a nice guy that’s treating me well.”

She took a shaky breath. “I’m so damn sorry, Bobby. Really, I am.”

He watched her intently throughout her apology, not interrupting her once. “Lass…” His mouth quirked into a hint of a smile. “You don’t need to apologize. I know it’s a tough situation for us to be in right now. Not many people would have the restraint we do.”

Her heart threatened to burst from her chest. She was sure he’d think she was a weirdo, and leave her immediately.

“For the record, I thought you already knew,” He laughed, lacing his fingers through hers.

“You’re really hard to read, Bobs.” She giggled, already feeling them returning back to normal.

\----

The rest of their lunch went smoothly. She ordered salad, and he got the salmon. He fed her a bite of his dish, and she did the same.

She nearly dropped the bite on his lap, but he managed to catch it in his hands. They had a laugh about it.

She had to stop herself from daydreaming about going on more lunch dates with him in order to actually work a bit. She opened up her thick planner, and he scooted his chair next to hers so they could review her ideas together.

She was trying to remain as calm as possible as Bobby sat next to her, his arm draped across the back of her chair. They managed to set a rough plan for catering, which they’d tweak when they started getting their RSVP’s in.

“We’re a great team, Sofia.” He said in her ear, and electricity zapped through her body. She turned to him slightly, noticing how close they were to each other. He kissed her cheek… or the edge of the corner of her lip, rather.

“I couldn’t imagine doing this with anyone else. Imagine if I’d landed someone like Gordon Ramsay,” She shook her head. “You’re literally the opposite of Gordon, Bobs.”

He chuckled. “I’m the anti-Gordon Ramsay.”

She shrugged her coat on and zipped it up. “Don’t get a big head on me.”

He gasped in mock offense, following close behind her as she headed towards the door. “You’re telling me that I, a 24-year-old common baker, am not better than world-renowned chef Gordon Ramsay?”

“You’re not better than Remy the rat chef!” She giggled, knowing that Ratatouille was one of his favorite movies of all time.

“He’s just a chef, Sofia! Him being a rat has nothing to do with it. If I just referred to myself as ‘human baker’, you’d think I was a weirdo, right?” He gestured to himself with one hand, and opened the door for her with the other.

“I think you’re a weirdo for a lot of other reasons, including this one, Bobs.” They approached her car, and she turned to him, smiling. “But I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Hearing Bobby talk passionately about his favorite CGI rat chef sparked a warm sensation deep in her heart. Was it love? Was she falling for him? She couldn’t decipher her feelings in that moment, so she did the next logical thing. She acted on the feelings she couldn’t comprehend.

She wrapped her fingers around the lapels of his coat and tugged him forward, leaning back onto the side of the car. She pulled him in for a kiss, not caring about the repercussions of her actions.

Their lips met, and she sensed Bobby trying to keep control of the situation. She knew he was debating himself internally on whether or not this was a good idea, but after a split second, his arms were squeezing her closer.

She’d never been with a man that kissed quite like Bobby. He let her lead, but allowed them to alternate control. She had usually been with men who dominated the kiss and took charge. It was an incredible change.

He was receptive to her cues and knew just when to change up the flow to keep her on her toes. The kiss felt meaningful, experienced, like a man who knew just what a woman wanted and how to please her.

She parted her lips, allowing his tongue to enter, tasted a bit of his afternoon mint, and smiled internally. 

“To taste what someone else has eaten is so odd, but it’s also kind of an intimate experience,” she thought. One she felt weird bragging about in her head, but she was proud of it nonetheless.

She managed to pull herself away from him after a bit, and gazed at him from half-lidded eyes. He had a goofy grin plastered on his face. He was buzzing.

He tucked a lock of hair behind her hair. “That was phenomenal.”

“What, Bobs, the meal or the kiss?” She joked, leaning into his hand.

He laughed heartily. “The food was great, but the kiss was better.”

“I’m gonna propose an amendment for this,” She gestured her hand between them.

“An amendment, eh?” He raised his brows.

She leaned in to kiss him sweetly. “I propose that kissing is on the table. Sex is still off the table.”

He looked dazed for a second. “That works for me, if you’re comfortable with it.”

She kissed him again, slow and deep. She turned and unlocked her car, slipping in. “See you back at your place.”

She drove off, her body tingling with lust and excitement.

\----


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sofia meets Bobby's best lad, Jonno, for the first time, and learns more about his past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i've had this chapter written for a while, and it's the first time since starting this series that i hit writer's block! i thought i'd make this a more transitional chapter where mc does her own thing and feels like an accomplished bad bitch! still not sure how long this series will be, so thank each and every one of you for staying along for the ride :)
> 
> i've gotten a great amount of positive feedback and it truly means so much to me!!!! thanks for the motivation and the kind words :') enjoy!

The next few days passed by quickly and smoothly. She toured venues with Chelsea and settled on a beautiful ballroom in a luxury hotel. They planned out everything from the color scheme to the placements of the napkins and cutlery.

Despite her scatterbrained appearance, she was surprisingly meticulous and really zeroed in on details Sofia hadn’t thought of before. The anxiety she felt about the event dissipated because she knew that Chelsea wouldn’t allow a single fork, balloon, or streamer to be out of place.

She surprised Sofia at the end of their meeting. “You know, I’ll be back in London for a while. We should totally get brunch one day. Mimosas on me!” She said offhandedly.

She had developed a friend crush on Chelsea. She gravitated towards her bubbly, optimistic personality. As someone who’d been fucked over so many times that she gradually evolved into a closeted pessimist, Sofia could wholeheartedly say she needed a friend like her to balance herself out.

She thought it was a weird feeling to have a friend crush on someone. She wanted so desperately for the two of them to become companions, but she didn’t want to seem pushy or overly excited. Who wants to tell someone, “You’re a cool person, and I want to hang out with you?”

Someone without anxiety, that’s who. It should’ve been an easy task, but the fear of rejection was real. Hearing Chelsea take the first step took so much pressure off of her shoulders.

She smiled to herself, trying to hide the excitement she felt. “I’d love that, Chels.”

The next day, she met with and hired a photographer and a videographer. They obviously needed a photographer, but maybe a videographer was a bit over the top. However, she knew she had to fine tune the details if she wanted to impress her boss. If she could hire someone to make a great promotional video of the event for their website, she’d blow her boss out of the water.

She stopped by a coffee shop and spent the rest of the afternoon making emergency plans in case anything fell through. She made a list of emergency stores to visit if Chelsea cancelled on her and she had to decorate by herself. She researched backup venues, photographers, videographers, and even a backup magician if they were desperate for entertainment. After they felt like every single base was covered, she decided to take off early and check out a pub nearby.

On the drive over, she called Poppy to check in.

“What?! You’ve seriously got that much done?” She screeched through the phone.

“I know, aren’t you just raging that I’m going to win?” She teased, knowing that they’d be happy for each other if either of them got promoted.

“Oh, I’m fucking fuming, babes,” she laughed. “I’m proud of you though –”

“–Awe, thanks –”

“– because I would’ve gotten absolutely no work done if I was staying with a lad as fit as Bobby.”

“I really thought you were complimenting me just then. You’re absolutely mad if you think I’m going to jeopardize my chances at a promotion. And my friendship with him.” She rolled her eyes. She really knew how to instigate.

“Friendship? So you haven’t shagged him yet,” she said matter-of-factly.

“Poppy! It’s none of your business.”

“My bet is that you’re going to hook up before you leave. I’d wager a nice dinner on that,” she was definitely smirking, and she could feel it.

“Look, babes, you’re gonna have to lay off if you want it to happen. The more you talk about it, the less comfortable I am with the idea of sleeping with him, yeah?” She grumbled, probably a little more aggressively than she should have.

“I’m sorry, Sofia. I’m not meaning to make it awkward. You’re my best work friend, and I want the best for you. I can tell you’re happy with him. I won’t talk about it anymore, but I at least want you to see how much you like each other.”

It was the first time Poppy had gotten truly candid with her. “Poppy, I’m sorry for snapping.” After a couple of seconds, she decided to spill the beans. “To tell you the truth, I’ve never felt like this about any guy. It feels like we’ve known each other forever. We’ve kissed a few times, and I really want to sleep with him. I’m just so scared I’ll fuck it up. I can’t lose him now.”

“It’s okay. I shouldn’t have pushed. For the record, I don’t think you’ll fuck it up. I don’t think you’ll be able to stay away from each other.”

“And how do you know that?” It’s like Poppy could sense all of her feelings.

“You’re so easy to read sometimes, babes. Hey, I’ve gotta go. My break’s over. If you want to talk about it with me, I’ll listen. Bye, Sofia.”

The phone clicked, and she sighed deeply. There were less and less reasons for her to hold back, and she was scared of what would happen if she snapped.

\----

She pulled her car into the parking lot behind the pub and walked in. It was busier than she thought for the afternoon, but then again she knew nothing about Glasgow, so it could’ve been completely normal. There was a pretty good mix of older and younger people. The atmosphere was comfortable, almost like a cozy bookstore.

The decor was true to its Scottish roots. She wondered if Bobby would love the bar or not.

She slid onto a barstool, surveying the beer they had on tap.

“What can I get for you?” She turned to see the middle-aged bartender holding a rag and an empty mug, wiping it down.

“Get me a pint of your most popular beer. Extra points if it’s local.” She smiled, and dug in her purse for her wallet.

She felt someone slide into the seat next to her. She rolled her eyes internally. “Great. Out of the entire row of empty seats, you sit next to me?” She thought to herself.

She pulled my favorite lip balm out of her purse, and pretended to accidentally drop it on the ground. She slid off of her stool, picked it up, and sat in the stool one down. Usually that method worked like a charm. It was an easy way to reject someone without telling them to fuck off. But other times, the guy couldn’t get the hint if it kicked them in the ass.

“Trying to get away from me, yeah?” A man chuckled next to her. She turned to see a good looking lad who looked to be around her age standing from his stool. “I could’ve gone about that better. I’m Jonno. Nice to meet you.”

“And I’m trying to drink my pint alone.” She applied her lip balm.

“Using a dropped balm to scoot down one seat? Genius,” he smirked, still standing next to his stool with his arm draped around the back of it.

“Just preventing chapped lips,” She smiled mockingly, waving her lip balm before throwing it back in her purse, and accepting the pint from the bartender.

“What’re you celebrating?”

She took a deep gulp of her beer. “I’m celebrating pregnancy.” Maybe a bit of morbid humor would get him to fuck off.

He howled with laughter, much to her distaste. “You’re funny. I’m celebrating, too.”

She rolled her eyes. “Lemme guess, your chlamydia finally cleared up?”

He cackled again, and then slipped in the seat next to her. She couldn’t have gotten rid of the wanker if she tried. She decided she should at least have some fun and fuck with him. It was better than drinking alone, she guessed.

“So what’s your name? You still haven’t told me.” He said, and ordered a pint for himself.

She took a long drink from the mug. “It’s Sofia. I’m celebrating a successful day at work. I’m visiting Glasgow, so I thought I’d take off early and try some of the local beer,” she shrugged. “That’s pretty much it. I’m pretty boring.”

“Nah, you’re definitely not boring.” He took a swig from his mug. “I’m from Glasgow. I could show you around if you’d like. Or at least tell you some non-touristy places to visit.”

She gave him a closed-lipped smile. “I’d love some recommendations. I haven’t had as much time to explore as I’d like.”

His eyes lit up, and he grabbed a napkin from a dispenser and a pen from his pocket. “Okay, so I’m gonna write down a few names of places and you tell them Jonno sent you and you should be able to get a discount.”

He handed the napkin to her, and she read over it quickly before folding it up and putting it in her purse. “Thanks. You might’ve just planned my day for me.” She laughed, and finished off her pint.

“Aye, George, can you get us another pint on me?” He smiled at her, and George nodded back.

Her eyes wandered around the decor, noticing a couple framed and signed photos behind the counter on the wall. “Wow, James McAvoy visited here before?” She raised her brows. She was impressed. He was her favorite Scotsman. Besides Bobby of course.

“Yeah, he came here after filming one day, and was really laid back,” Jonno said. She cocked her head to the side. “I come here a lot.”

She nodded, and sipped the foam that was threatening to spill off the edge of the mug. “Thanks, George.”

“So, how’s it going with Bobby?”

She choked on the foam, and hacked repeatedly. Jonno patted her upper back firmly. He looked like he was trying to hold back a laugh.

“You know Bobby?” She wheezed.

“Sorry I didn’t say anything sooner. I had to see for myself if you were serious about him, because I’m his best mate. I couldn’t even try to turn your head if I wanted to.” He snickered.

She shook her head, and chugged the beer to clear her aching throat. “We’re just friends.”

“Whatever you say, Sofia,” he grinned. “Loyalty means everything to Bobby. His last girl was kind of like you, but she really fucked him in the head. He hasn’t been the same since.”

Her curiosity was piqued. She knew that he mentioned how bad his last relationship was, but she didn’t want to pry for details. Maybe that was her chance to get to know him better so that she could navigate their relationship smoother.

“If you wouldn’t mind me asking, what happened? I don’t think he trusts me enough to tell me.”

“I’m only telling you this because I can’t see Bobby in the state he was after the breakup,” he sighed.

“Bobby met this girl at his last job, because she was a nurse at the hospital he worked in. They hit it off, started dating, and everything went smoothly for a while. Us lads loved her. She got along with everyone and clicked so well with Bobby.”

He took a big glug, so she interjected. “She’s the one that cheated, right?”

“I was getting to that. About a year in, Bobby had saved enough money to open up the bakery. Or at least his portion. The lads all invested. We all were passionate about the business.

“Obviously bakeries have early hours. Bobby had to be at the bakery between 3 and 4 a.m. every day to open at 6. They had moved in together, and she got moved to the late shift. Scheduling was out of her control.”

She sighed deeply. “I know where this is going.”

“Yeah. They barely saw each other during the week, and they fought on the one day they had together. She couldn’t handle his ‘baker hours’. He desperately wanted them to work, so he booked them a surprise trip. He showed up to work to tell her, saw her getting back from lunch with a coworker, and saw them kiss.

“He confronted her at home and she told him everything. She’d been cheating on him since before he opened the bakery. She said she was more ‘justified’ in cheating after because he was always gone.” Jonno seethed, finishing off his pint.

“She tried to blame it on him. It fucked with him so bad. He was planning on proposing to her,” he sat back in his stool, raging.

“I’d never do that to him,” she growled, gripping her mug tightly.

“I didn’t think you would. I know Bobby is trying to take it slow with you, and you are too. It’s because he doesn’t want to be blindsided. He wants to have some control of the situation to make things go the way he hopes they will,” he shrugged.

She patted him on the back. “Thank you, Jonno. I appreciate it. And thank you for being there for Bobby when he needed him. Everyone needs a mate like you.” She gave him a soft smile.

He blushed. “Aye, don’t get soft on me, Sofia. You were tough two seconds ago.”

She elbowed him playfully. “A friend of Bobby is a friend of mine. Be grateful. Not many people get to see my good side.”

“I’ll remember that,” he laughed.

\----

A while later, after she’d sobered up, she drove back to Bobby’s apartment after picking up takeout again, giddy that she’d met his best mate before he could introduce them.

“Hey, Bobs, I’m home!” She called, shutting the door behind me and locking it. “I brought back some food.”

Bobby peaked his head out of the bedroom. “Hey, lass! Sorry I just got out of the shower. Let me throw some jammies on.”

She laughed, taking the containers out of the plastic bag. “Yeah, I was feeling a Netflix and chill day. You read my mind.”

He emerged from his room in just pajama pants. She hadn’t seen him shirtless before, and for good reason. Her eyes roamed hungrily across his chest. Freckles were sprinkled gracefully across his collarbones and between his nipples, as well as his shoulders.

He had a surprisingly toned torso, slender and defined. She didn’t know he was that in shape. His arms were so muscular, his biceps tight. Yeah, she’d seen his hands before, but seeing them with his naked torso made her lower body ache with yearning.

He was a man who could make a masterpiece with his hands; Creating a baked good was a meticulous art that required steady hands for decorating. His palms were calloused, yet the top of his hands were smooth and slightly veiny.

Lust clouded her thoughts, and she imagined all the things he could do to her with his hands.

While she was deep in her dirty fantasies, he walked towards her and wrapped his sculpted arms around her shoulders in a greeting hug. “I missed you.”

She squeezed her arms around his waist, nuzzling her nose into his bare collarbone. “I missed you, too.”

She kissed his neck lightly, and she felt him tense his arms a bit. “You do know what Netflix and chill means, right lass?” he chuckled nervously, pulling away from her.

“Yeah. We’re gonna keep it PG, Bobs,” she strutted to his bedroom to throw on pajamas.

She came back to the living room after the lust had worn off. She still wore her ratty tank top, but she paired it with a bra and sweatpants. Definitely not as tension-inducing as the last time she wore the top.

She grabbed two sodas and plopped next to him. He took it graciously from her. “You really didn’t have to get dinner, babe. This was really sweet.”

She shrugged, and started scrolling through Netflix. “You’ve done a lot for me this week. It was the least I could do.”

“Well, thanks anyways,” he said through a mouthful of food. “You seem pretty chipper. How was your day?”

That question made her grin like an idiot. She wasn’t used to a guy wanting to listen to her boring day. Yes, she knew the bar was low. Men really hadn’t given her a reason to think they’d care about her the way Bobby did.

She spilled about her day, detailing her successful meetings and how confident she was in being ahead of her coworkers, since Poppy had confirmed she was killing it. He listened intently and hung onto her every word. It made her feel like she was a reporter and he was watching the news. Weird comparison, but it fit.

“I stopped by a pub after work to celebrate,” She was going to stretch the story for as long as she could and plant clues to tease him.

“Cool. Where at? I might know the place.” She named the pub and his face lit up. “Damn, Sofia, that’s my favorite bar! You should’ve called me. I would’ve joined you.”

“I got a couple of pints. It was really tasty. I’ll need to figure out what beer I drank there, because I need to order a case and bring it back with me.” She grinned. He was eager to know how she felt about the bar, so she knew he suspected she’d run into some of the regulars.

“I didn’t know you drank beer, lass,” he cocked his brow.

“Women can drink beer, Bobs. Beer guts look better on us anyways.” She shrugged, sipping on her soda.

“I didn’t mean it like that,” he chuckled. “You’re usually more of a wine drinker.”

“I have standards for wine, babe. I’m scared to know what types of Chardonnay they’d have,” she shuddered overdramatically, garnering a laugh from Bobby.

“Alright, alright, I’ll admit the beer’s great. George is the best bartender in Glasgow, I guarantee it.”

“The craziest thing happened to me though,” she said in a low tone. Bobby nodded for her to continue. “This guy walked up to me and sat down at the stool right next to mine. The entire row of stools were open, and he plopped his ass next to me. So I did my infamous ‘lip balm trick’.”

“I have to know what that is. Please explain.” His eyes sparkled with amusement.

She explained in detail what the trick entailed, and he howled laughing when she told him the guy didn’t get the hint.

“What a dumbass,” he shook his head. “You can tell from a gal’s body language if they’re into you or not. That’s if you have any experience with women, which I doubt he’d had.”

As she listened to him call his best lad a dumbass, she tried so hard to hold back her giggles, but a snort from the back of her throat broke her composure. She doubled over, her chest heaving from the belly laugh. She threw herself back into the cushion of the couch, cracking up even harder when Bobby asked her what was so funny.

She couldn’t compose herself long enough to get a word out; Bobby wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close, trying and failing to get her to stop. After a couple more failed attempts, he laughed along with her.

After a minute or so, she stopped, gasping for air, laying against Bobby’s torso for support.

“Are you ready to tell me what was so funny about what I just said? I thought it was pretty decent of me,” he smirked, teasing.

“Bobs, your answer was perfect. Even more perfect if you knew who I spent my afternoon with,” she grinned, stifling a laugh.

His eyes widened. “No.”

She managed to sputter out “Jonno”.

He guffawed, finally putting the joke together.

“For the record, he’s not a dumbass. I’d love to have a best friend like that. He’s so protective over you. I really like him.”

She saw a shadow of admiration in his eyes. “That means a lot to me, lass. He’s been my best mate for most of my life. His approval means the world to me.”

She snuggled up to him, and his arms tightened around her. “I think he liked me. We spent all afternoon chatting, mainly about you and me. He’s so easy to talk to and he’s a great listener like you.”

He kissed her hair. “I was upset at first that you’d met him before I could introduce you, but now I’m thinking it was better I wasn’t there.”

She tilted her chin so she could softly kiss his bottom lip. “We’re gonna have so much fun playing hooky.”

His eyes widened excitedly. “Seriously? Oh, lass, I’m going to give you the best day ever.”

As they settled in to watch a horror flick together, she couldn’t help but think that in that moment, she felt more complete than she had in years.

\----


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bobby and Sofia's hooky day is here! They spend the whole day together sightseeing and ending the day at the club to meet with Bobby's best mates.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this was definitely a tough chapter to write! i apologize if it's a meaty chapter - there's a lot going on, but i think this has been my favorite to write so far :) i'm also sorry this is later than i usually post! i wanted to make sure it was near perfect in my eyes, and right now i couldn't be happier with how it turned out!
> 
> thank you to everyone who's still tuning in to read even though season 2 is over! I hope my bobby content is filling the void of the lack of a season 2 reunion :(
> 
> please let me know what you think!!! :) and if you like where the story is going?

Bobby had chosen Friday as their “hooky” day, and she wasn’t complaining. She’d been working pretty much nonstop since she’d gotten there, despite her boss almost sabotaging her. She had to drive back to London that weekend, and it was a bittersweet feeling.

Her brain was telling me it was great to get back so she could get back on schedule and sleep in her own bed. However, her heart was telling her that she needed to soak up the last bit of her almost-vacation, and enjoy her time with Bobby, albeit hopefully in a way that didn’t fuck up their friendship.

He wouldn’t tell her where they were going. All he said was to be ready to go at 10 a.m. and to bring a coat and umbrella.

She got up early enough to call and hire everyone she’d met with. She could’ve definitely procrastinated, but what could she say? She was a workaholic through and through.

Sofia let the hot water run over her sudsy hair, while she shaved nearly her entire body, and reflected on her week with Bobby.

He was so gentle with her. He never made her feel obligated to do something she wasn’t comfortable with. He always asked her how she was doing, and what she was feeling. He listened to her so intently, like she was the only thing that mattered to him. When she looked in his eyes, all she saw was care, and… love – she thought. Everything he could be doing right, he was doing perfectly.

He chewed with his mouth open. He had a bad habit of not putting his clothes back in place and strewing them around the apartment. He talked too much during movies. He got distracted easily. He didn’t get embarrassed easily, unless she tried to get him to blush. He was a hard worker that spent too much time at work, like her. He knew exactly who he was and who he wanted to be.

Everything that Bobby was, and everything she didn’t like about him, she loved. Everything that should’ve bothered her made her like him so much more. She’d never felt that way about anyone.

Maybe she owed it all to a stupid celibacy pact. Maybe it was the best choice she’d ever made.

She turned the water off and stepped out, wrapping her hair with a towel. She didn’t have an extra towel to wrap around her body, but the bedroom was right across the hall, so she just strutted into the room.

“Surprise, lass!” Bobby stood next to the bed with a picnic basket in one hand and a few tickets in the other.

She gasped in shock and ripped the towel off her head to hide her body.

He shut his eyes and turned around quickly, sputtering out an illegible apology.

“Shit, I’m so sorry, I thought you’d be here at 10 a.m.,” She said, wrapping the towel tightly around her chest.

“It is 10, lass.” Did she really spend nearly an hour in the shower?

“Sorry, this was my fault. I should’ve wrapped myself in a towel before coming in here.” The embarrassment started setting in, heat creeping up her cheeks.

She was mortified. She’d take the sensation of physical pain before embarrassment any day. She felt her stomach churning, her heart pounding, and fire underneath her skin simultaneously. It was a disgusting feeling she wouldn’t wish on anyone.

Yeah, being able to laugh off a situation afterwards is fine, and she usually got over things quickly, but the initial feeling of embarrassment was hands down the worst emotion a human can experience, she thought.

“You couldn’t have known I was here. I’m the one who needs to apologize. I was trying to surprise you, but I should’ve just waited in the living room,” he shook his head, remorse in his voice.

“Let me get dressed and you can explain the surprise,” She picked out her outfit, waiting for him to walk out of the door. She shut it and quickly threw on the oversized sweater and jeans. She raked a brush through her hair, slapped on some moisturizer, threw on a beanie, and walked into the living room.

He sat on the couch, aimlessly browsing through the channels. His eyes lit up when he saw her. “You look beautiful. That was record time to get ready, Sofia. I’m impressed.”

“Thank you, Bobs. I’m sorry I’ve kept you waiting,” she laughed. “Today’s been weird already. Can we re-do?”

He raised an eyebrow. “A re-do?”

“Don’t make me spell it out for you, babe. You saw me naked. We’re both embarrassed. Let’s pretend it didn’t happen.” She walked backwards and attempted to talk backwards, imitating a rewinding tape.

He chuckled, and copied her, but walked backwards towards her, so that he could hug her and kiss her cheek. “I’ll explain everything in the car. Let’s have the best Bobby & Sofia Hooky Day ever!”

\----

Bobby had bought tickets to some of Glasgow’s most popular tourist attractions, and planned out a whole day for them.

They were to start out at the Pollok House first for a picnic and tour. Then, they’d go to the Botanic Gardens, Necropolis, and the Glasgow Cathedral, in whatever order she wanted. They’d end the day at Bobby’s favorite club, so they could party it up.

They decided against going inside the Pollok House to save time. They took their time getting through the garden, and Bobby sneakily picked a flower and put it in their basket, winking at her. He wanted to remember their day, just like her. His saccharine gestures made her melt.

They picked a grassy spot with a prime view of the clusters of flowers. He unloaded homemade sandwiches and salads, and she grabbed one of each, her stomach growling.

“You’re pampering me, Bobs. I’m getting too used to home cooked meals,” she teased, jabbing her fork into the lettuce.

He shook his head. “I don’t mind it at all. I hate cooking for myself, but I love cooking for us.”

A chill ran up her spine at the word “us”. She was getting too used to being around Bobby, too. She knew she’d only known him for about a month, but it felt like he’d always been in her life. You know those people that show up one day and assimilate into your life inconspicuously? (You could say the same about a latent virus or an outside cat.)

“Well, I love eating it,” she said through a mouthful of food.

He smiled, and they ate in silence for a few minutes. “So, are you sad I’m going back to London?”

He glanced at her sideways, probably gauging her motive for asking. She was genuinely curious, because she knew she was going to miss seeing him every day. “Of course, lass. I feel like we’ve gotten close over the past week. My apartment’s gonna feel real empty without you.”

She grinned. “I’m gonna miss you, babes.”

He beamed at her. “I’m gonna miss you too, especially your smile. It’s contagious. Plus, the gap in your teeth is adorable.”

Her smile vanished, and she slapped a hand to her mouth instinctively. Yeah, it was a compliment, but someone complimenting a massive insecurity doesn’t make it go away. It draws more attention to it.

He leaned towards her, and lightly rested a hand on her wrist. “Hey, did I say something wrong? I’m sorry.”

She’d regretted her knee-jerk reaction – he had no idea about her self-esteem issues, and he’d given an unnecessary apology for celebrating what she thought was her worst quality.

She wagged her head and spoke from behind her hand. “No, you don’t have to apologize.”

He waited for her to continue, understanding written across his features. “When I was a kid, I was chubby and nerdy. I was bullied… a lot. I dropped weight and spent more time on my makeup, hair, and clothes, but people always had a reason to poke at my insecurities.”

She pulled her hand away from her face reluctantly. “I’ve had this gap since I was a kid. My parents couldn’t afford braces for me, so I’ve been stuck with my crooked teeth, and I’ve been counting down the days till I can get dental insurance to fix it.”

She sighed, and looked out into the garden, observing the families and couples walking aimlessly through it. “I understand that it might not be a big deal to other people, but I’ve worked so hard to be confident in myself. It’s like no matter how hard I try, I’m always going to have my crooked teeth as a reminder of my horrible school experience and not being fully happy with how I look.”

She shivered, taking herself out of her trauma-induced trance. “Sorry, I haven’t talked about that since therapy in high school.” She plastered a soft smile on her face and finally met his eyes. “I’m okay.”

He searched her eyes intently, probably trying to figure out if she was lying about being okay. After a few seconds of silence, he spoke. “I can tell that was hard for you. Thank you for sharing that with me. I know it might not mean much, but I think you have a dazzling smile. I wouldn’t change a thing about you – but you should always do what makes you happy. If straightening your teeth makes you feel better about yourself, go for it. It might give you the closure you need.” He laid a hand on her cheek. “But you’re gorgeous to me.”

Her vision clouded with tears. “Fuck, Bobby, I was seriously trying not to get emotional here,” She laughed and sniffled. “Thank you. That means a lot to me.”

He kissed her bottom lip tenderly.

“Ugh, I feel so icky and vulnerable right now,” she shuddered. “Doing this outside of therapy is new to me.”

“Well, do you want to know anything about me? I’m an open book, but I can’t leave you hanging,” he leaned back on the quilt they’d laid out, holding himself up by his elbows.

“You’re not an open book, Bobby.”

He tilted his head to look her in the eye. “How so?”

“Just because you’re friendly and easy to get along with doesn’t mean you’re transparent. I never know how you really feel. I think you just hate conflict,” she shrugged. “But I can’t fault you for that. I hate conflict too. I’m just like you.”

He whistled, cocking a brow at her. “Have you met my therapist?”

She chuckled. “So I’m telling you what you already know?”

He laid on his back, and crossed his arms across his chest. “You’re right. To me, it takes a lot more effort to fight than to let something roll off my shoulders. It doesn’t bother me though. I’d rather keep it moving, stay positive, you know?”

She nodded, even though the thought of someone taking advantage of Bobby’s kindness and understanding enraged her. After a short silence, she broke it by saying, “I guess if I told you about my school experience, you should tell me about yours.”

He smiled. “I liked school a lot. I grew up here, so the lads I met when I was a kid are my best friends now. I met Jonno my first year of primary school and we’ve been inseparable ever since.”

She laid down next to him and cuddled up to his side. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. “Secondary school was less enjoyable. I spent a lot of time chasing girls that didn’t like me back.”

She kissed his jaw. “They didn’t deserve you, Bobs.”

He chuckled. “Maybe not.” He looked out across the garden for a few seconds. “I knew pretty quickly I’d never be more than a friend to them, so I made sure I was the best guy friend they had.” He smiled, his dimple peeking out. “I had a ton of friends by the time I graduated.”

“Lucky them,” she breathed, watching him pop a small tomato into his mouth, his defined jaw flexing.

After a few more minutes of watching the clouds and chatting, they packed up the picnic basket and headed towards their next destination.

\----

The rest of the afternoon passed by too quickly. She tried to savor each stop, snapping tons of photos and asking every tour guide in sight questions.

The cathedral was breathtaking; Bobby and Sofia toured it mostly in silence out of respect. They both weren’t particularly religious, but they appreciated old architecture and history.

Necropolis was eerie but captivating. The cemetery’s layout made no sense. They spent most of the time chatting and searching for the royal graves and googling interesting/funny names they saw on the headstones.

She wanted to spend the most time in the Botanic Gardens; she took a ton of photos and read the inscriptions next to the rare plants. She was in her element. She excitedly told Bobby fun facts about the plants she recognized.

She felt like they were a normal couple, going on adventurous dates with each other, learning new things, and growing together. She could see them doing it for years to come. He snapped tons of photos and videos with her. At first it was a bit awkward, but he asked her questions for the videos to make it interesting, and cracked jokes so she’d laugh in photos.

“I had to document our Hooky Day!” He joked. “It’s like digital scrapbooking, babes. You can look back on all of your reactions, and it’s priceless.”

After they left the Botanic Gardens, they headed back to Bobby’s apartment so they could get ready for a night of clubbing.

“Thank God I’m a meticulous packer,” she thought. She had brought her favorite black bodycon dress, which she reserved for nights out at university. She was the type of person whose style reflected their bank account, despite the hours she’d spent aimlessly scrolling through H&M’s website, wishing she had the funds to be fashionable.

The dress meant a lot to her. After she’d dropped weight in college, her roommate, Olivia, took her out shopping. She’d noticed how baggy Sofia’s clothes were, and reassured her that her dad wouldn’t mind if she used his credit card to shop. Sofia felt guilty, despite her offering first.

She hadn’t gone shopping in years, mainly because she stuck to a certain style and grade of comfort with her clothes. She was so used to buying clothes for functionality and how well it hid her fat, that she rarely stopped to think if it was flattering, and if she genuinely liked it.

She made her try the bodycon dress on, and she was so embarrassed that she wouldn’t step foot out of the dressing room. When she saw her, she gasped in delight and gave her compliment after compliment. “Sofia, these dresses were made for you. I’m buying it for you,” she said giddily, tugging on her shoulder slightly to shift her body so they could see the dress from all angles.

The fabric hugged at her body in the right places. Her hips, and chest were accentuated, and while her stomach puffed out a bit, the color and style of the dress slimmed it down. It was the sexiest she’d ever felt in her life. She didn’t cry in the dressing room, but afterwards she’d sobbed from sheer happiness, dumbfounded that she’d had a shopping trip that ended in a purchase and happy tears, instead of leaving in tears because of her body image issues.

She wore that dress out as much as she could, pretty much damning herself to be a renowned outfit repeater.

She grabbed it by the thin straps, raking her eyes carefully over it. The fabric was worn. Beads of fabric formed under the armpit and the seat of the dress. She noticed a few loose strings here and there.

She couldn’t let go of the dress no matter how hard she tried. Regardless of the shape it was in, the dress was symbolic. When she slipped it over her head, it’s like the fibers instilled the confidence in her that she felt that day in the dressing room with Olivia.

They stayed acquaintances after college; itt sucked that they didn’t get close, but she’d never forget the push she gave her that Sofia so desperately needed in the form of that dress.

She snapped back to reality. The thin straps left her no choice but to go braless. She slipped on her seamless panties, and sat down on the bed to touch up her makeup.

She blended a bit of black shadow around the outer corners of her eyes, like a cat eye liner, but blown out. She ran my favorite eyebrow pencil through her brow hairs, fluffing them up. She glued on some false lashes and ran mascara through them a few times. She used my fingers to apply highlighter on her cheekbones, and the arch of her brow.

She grabbed her bullet lipstick in a true red shade, and applied it quickly. She slipped on her comfy block heels, fastened her hoop earrings, and grabbed her denim jacket before heading out of the bedroom.

Bobby was in the kitchen, plating a pasta dish she didn’t recognize. “I thought I’d make dinner for us before we met up with the lads.”

He mimicked the “salt bae” meme and sprinkled parsley on top of the pasta. He was so focused on the food that he hadn’t looked at her.

“Yum! Thanks, Bobs. Remy would be proud of you,” She laughed, and he smiled, meeting her eyes for the first time. He did a double take, raking his eyes painstakingly across her body, stopping at her hips and chest area.

He opened his mouth to speak, but no sound came out. “Chef Gusteau would be proud, too!” She added, sweetly encouraging him to respond.

“Wow, lass, you look… stunning,” he whispered, and put a hand on the counter to hold himself up, presumably.

Her cheeks flushed, and she shifted her weight from leg to leg. “Thank you, babes. You’re not so bad yourself.”

He walked towards her, his eyes half-lidded. From the look in them, she could tell they were heading into dangerous territory.

He wrapped his left arm around her waist and used his right to tilt her chin upwards. He planted a soft kiss on her lips. She sighed and wrapped her arms around his neck, deepening it.

“You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met,” he whispered against her lips.

If he kept complimenting her like that, they’d never make it to the club.

She pulled back and walked over to the pasta. “I really don’t deserve someone as sweet and wholesome as you. Thank you.”

He gazed at her with a loving look in his eyes. “I know we’re not melty people, but I have to tell you that every day, lass. It’d be wrong if I didn’t. Like I was lying or something.”

She shook her head. “You’re just turning on the charm tonight, aren’t you babe? What, do you think I’ll leave you for Jonno or something?” She deflected, trying to turn the conversation away from herself.

She sat down on one of his two barstools, and dug in. Bobby followed suit, chuckling. “I’m just happy to be with you. For the record, I don’t think you and Jonno would work out.”

“Sure,” she said, through a mouthful of pasta. Damn, he was really rubbing off on her.

They ate in silence for a minute or so, before calling a cab and heading to the club.

She slipped into the backseat, and he joined her, sitting close. His legs rubbed against hers, and he casually draped an arm over her shoulders. His phone rang, and he answered promptly. “Hey. We’ll be there in 10 minutes. Snag us a table. Okay, bye.”

She giggled. “Yeah, you sound like best friends, alright.”

“You just wait, lass. You haven’t seen us together on a night out before,” he grinned, his dimple flashing.

“Oh?” She cocked a brow at him.

“Get a few drinks in me and the lads, and we’ve got a few options. One, we’re friendly. That’s usually the case. We’ve met a lot of people that way. Two, we’re self-destructive,” he counted on his fingers. “Both times we’ve went through breakups, we try hitting up our ex when we have alcohol in our system. And finally, three: we’re… excited.” He left it at that, and she didn’t prod further.

“I bet Jonno’s pulled a lot of women at this club, huh?”

His eyes widened. “The man’s a machine. One night a couple months back, he managed 3 quickies in the bathroom. We were only there for a couple of hours.”

She scrunched her mouth to the side, chewing on her inner lip. “You’d never do that right?”

He wagged his head. “Farthest I’ll go is a one night stand. I couldn’t do that to someone. I’d be afraid of hurting their feelings.”

She laced their fingers together and squeezed. “You’re so empathetic, babes. It’s very endearing.”

“I take it you’re a horny drunk, huh?” He teased, tickling her side with his free hand.

She cackled, squirming away from his hand. “Bobs, stop! I’ll tell you if you stop!”

He pulled his hand back, and she caught her breath. “It depends on what kind of mood I’m in. If I had a bad day, I’ll cry; If I had a good day, I’ll be a social butterfly, and so on.”

“Good thing today was the best day, huh, lass?” He kissed her temple.

The driver pulled up to the entrance of the club, and they hopped out, joining the short line in front of the bouncers.

It was chilly outside, so she pulled her denim jacket tighter around her. It didn’t do much.

“Jeez, I hope we can get inside soon. I’m freezing,” her teeth chattered.

“Sorry, lass. I know the bouncer here, so if I can just get his attention we should be able to get through,” he said, leaning sideways out of the line to wave at the bouncer.

“Aye, Bobby! Come on up!” he waved back.

“Thanks a million, Tom. I owe you one,” they grabbed hands and clasped each other on the back welcomingly.

She dug out my license, and Tom shook his head. “No need. A friend of Bobby is a friend of mine.”

She nodded, and glanced at Bobby. The purple neon light from the sign above the doors reflected off of Bobby’s olive skin, the illustrious sheen ricocheting off of his dark skin and hair, looking like an angel’s halo. He was so gorgeous. “Thank you, Tom.”

He opened the door for them, and the sound hit them immediately. A rap song flooded through the speakers, so loud that she had to yell to be heard. Bobby took her hand and led her to the vividly lit bar.

The tables and booths lined against the wall were dark, barely lit. Clouds of smoke wafted up from the booths, explaining the heavy musky smell. She only smoke when she was really drunk, for a good reason. It stunk horribly.

The middle of the club was a dance floor, the floor itself changing colors to the beat of the song. Kind of a cliche, but she really loved it. The place felt like a time capsule. She could tell there were influences from every decade in the decor, and the owners added and added without ever taking away anything.

“What are you having, lass?” He said, voice raised just below a yell so she could hear him.

“I’ll take a beer and a shot. I don’t care what type,” she yelled back.

He ordered quickly, then turned back to her, speaking into her ear just loud enough for her to hear him over the music. “You’ll be meeting my best lads that helped me open the bakery and work with me. Jonno, who you’ve met. Logan, who does the accounting side of it, and Brodie who does a little bit of everything else. He helps with sales, but also with advertising and catering and pretty much anything else we need.”

She nodded. “Good to know. I’m excited.”

They grabbed their drinks and headed to find Jonno’s table. He had secluded one of the booths slightly behind the speakers that were pointed at the main dance floor, so that they could be heard a bit more easily. They still had to yell, but they wouldn’t lose their voices.

Jonno stood up to greet them, a wide smile on his face. “My favorite people!” He grabbed Bobby in a tight hug, lifting him off the ground.

Bobby writhed, trying to get out of his grip. “Jon, put me down!” Jonno eyed me, and shrugged, still squeezing Bobby to his chest.

“If you don’t let him go you can’t hug me,” she said and opened her arms, gesturing for him to bring it in.

Instead, he just walked over to her, Bobby still in his arms, and gathered her as well, forcing an awkward group hug.

Jonno was a huge guy; he was a head taller than Bobby, and a lot more muscular. Let’s just say Sofia could tell he had been a bouncer before opening the bakery. She didn’t even have to ask.

They pulled away, laughing, before sitting down and starting their long night of drinking.

“What should we toast to?” Jonno said, swirling his shot around in the glass.

“To getting absolutely fucked,” She yelled, raising her shot glass high.

Bobby raised his eyebrow, a glimmer in his eye. She stuck her tongue out at him.

“To getting absolutely fucked!” They whooped in unison, downing the vodka shots.

She chased it with her beer, gulping half of the pint. After she set her glass down and licked the remnants off of her lips, she caught Jonno and Bobby eyeing her. “What? Do I have something on my face?” She pointed to her cheek.

Bobby shook his head, smiling. “Nothing, lass, Jonno just hasn’t ever seen a gal drink like you before.”

She gave Jonno an up and down glance. “I’m going to chalk it up to you not meeting many girls, instead of sexism.”

They both cackled in response. “No, Sofia, I meant that most girls I meet try to impress me by drinking like me but can’t handle their liquor well.”

“We’re too well versed in cleaning up vomit,” Bobby interjected.

“You won’t have to worry about me. I know my limits,” She shrugged, and took another swig from her mug.

“I’ll go get us a few more pints,” Jonno scooted out of the booth. “I can tell we’re gonna need it.”

She leaned back, resting her arm across the low back of the seat. The song changed to a rap song she vaguely recognized, and she nodded her head along to the song.

For a second, it felt awkward between Bobby and Sofia. Maybe it was because they couldn’t have a proper conversation at a normal volume, or maybe because they knew exactly what kind of people they were in a club setting, and it could complicate things for them.

He knew she had plenty of one night stands from clubbing. And she knew that he’d done the same.

She had a few moves that usually got a man to come home with her, and it was common knowledge that Bobby’s charm was his secret weapon.

“This could end horribly for both of us,” she thought.

“So…” Bobby began, and before he could get a word out, they were interrupted by two handsome men that looked about their age.

“Bobby!” He shot up from his seat to hug both of them enthusiastically, patting them on their backs. She stood up to greet them, adjusting the bottom of her tiny dress self-consciously.

“This must be Sofia,” the blonde lanky one smiled at her.

“You weren’t lying when you said she was sexy,” the taut-built brunette purred at her, biting his lip. Bobby blushed furiously, and the blonde elbowed him.

She wanted so desperately to hold back, considering this was Bobby’s friend, but she couldn’t. If she let his comment slide, he’d talk to her however he wanted.

She waited a couple of seconds, and when Bobby didn’t meet her eyes, she saw red. She didn’t deserve to be talked about that way, and Bobby definitely wasn’t going to speak up, so she took matters into her own hands.

“The fact that Bobby would possibly lie to you about a woman’s looks to get you to leave her alone means she probably wouldn’t ever be interested in you. Get a fucking clue. For my sake, I wish I was ugly so you’d fuck off,” she snapped, and smiled sweetly at the blonde. “Hi, babes, it’s nice to meet you!”

Bobby and the blonde howled with laughter, collapsing into the booth, and the brunette’s mouth was open, trying desperately to form a comeback. She scooted into the booth next to Bobby, farthest away from the brunette.

“That’s Logan,” he pointed to the blonde, “And that’s Brodie.” He motioned toward the brunette, who sat down awkwardly, avoiding her eyes.

Logan waved, still chuckling. “I don’t think Brodie’s ever been put in his place like that before.”

Brodie shook his head, color still in his cheeks. “I’m embarrassed, but that made you ten times hotter.”

She felt a little remorse for being so callous with him, but how else were men going to get the clue?

She threw Brodie an apologetic look. “I’m sorry for being nasty, but I have to stand up for myself, you know? If I don’t, people will walk all over me.” She drew circles absentmindedly in the condensation on her mug.

“I should be apologizing, Sofia. I won’t try it again, I swear,” he crossed his finger across his heart in two short movements.

“All is forgiven, babes,” she lied, knowing she’d keep an eye out for him in the future until he proved to her he wasn’t a pig. She got that grudges took a lot of effort, but so did having to fight off a man who didn’t understand the word “no”. She’d be holding her grudges until she knew she was safe.

“I owe the whole table drinks –” Brodie began to stand.

“Aye, lads, the drinks are here!” Jonno was smiling down on the table with a tray of mugs.

After Jonno greeted Brodie and Logan, he sat down, and Bobby immediately caught him up on the situation. Jonno let out a guttural cackle, prompting all of them to laugh with him. Jonno had an infectious laugh and presence. She could tell this group was easy to get along with and that people gravitated towards them.

Jonno handed out the pints, and Brodie gulped his fast. Logan sipped on it, like he was wine-tasting.

“So, Sofia, we heard you’re working with Bobby. What do you do?” Logan said, moving the conversation right along.

“I work for an environmental protection non-profit. We do a little bit of everything, from recycling campaigns to reducing waste to rainforest preservation,” she replied, leaning forward so that the table could hear her properly. She could feel a pair of eyes on her chest – probably Brodie’s.

“Sounds hard, but rewarding, huh?” Logan gestured at the other guys, and they nodded.

“It pays shit, but I’d rather be passionate and stressed than not give a fuck about what I was doing,” she shrugged.

“Yeah, we heard your boss fucked you over,” Brodie interjected, prompting a groan from Jonno and a glare from Bobby.

“Seems like you know a lot about me. Probably from your stag group chat, right?” She rolled her eyes and laughed. “As long as you’re not talking shit about me, I could care less what you say.”

Logan eyed Bobby before speaking. “I won’t reveal our group chat secrets, but it’s all good, babe, I swear.”

She turned to Bobby and gave him a small smile, and he shrugged.

She finished off her first pint and moved on to the new one, drinking a generous amount before continuing the conversation. She wanted the alcohol to hit her soon so she would feel less weird being grilled by Bobby’s friends. She couldn’t tell if they were in the vetting process or trying to gauge how interested she was in anyone that wasn’t Bobby.

The boys followed suit, trying to keep up with her. Jonno finished a whole pint, and slammed the mug down, exhaling loudly, followed by a burp. “I’m gonna head down there. I see an absolute 10 and those are rare here,” he noticed her furrowed brows, and added, “Besides you, babes.”

A heavy bass beat flooded through the speakers, and Jonno jogged down the few stairs to the illuminated floor. All four of them watched Jonno approach the girl and dance dirty almost immediately.

“To continue what I was saying before, yes, Brodie, my boss didn’t book my room, so I had to stay with Bobby,” she said. “I can’t believe someone who’s the president of a multi-million dollar non-profit can’t even remember to book a fucking room for a million tasks I didn’t fucking sign up for.”

She huffed, and sipped on her beer. “Did you go off on her?” Logan grinned, obviously prodding for a good story.

She scrunched my nose. “The woman signs my paycheck, so of course I kept my mouth shut. I can’t throw away my chances at a promotion.”

Bobby threw an arm around her shoulders. “I’ve never met anyone more stubborn but sensitive in my life. She’s a people-pleaser until you cross her,” he pointed at Brodie.

“I’m only a people-pleaser at work and in bed,” she said matter-of-factly, chugging the rest of her second pint.

Logan and Brodie laughed, and Bobby chuckled, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. She felt his hands clam up against her shoulder. She wondered if that left him hot and bothered.

“I think I’m going to go do a tequila shot and head to the dance floor. I’ll be back,” she said, pushing herself up from the booth.

“I’ll come with you, lass,” Bobby said quickly, and walked next to her, his hand on the small of her back.

“I was hoping you’d tag along,” she winked, starting to feel the effects of the shot and two pints. She felt warm, fuzzy, and a little more confident than she was an hour ago. One more shot, and she’d lay off for the rest of the night. They approached the bar again, and staked claim as the next in line to order.

“Sorry about Brodie,” he apologized, running a hand through his dreads. “I should’ve warned you beforehand, or stuck up for you or something –”

She put a finger on his lips, silencing him. “You don’t have to stick up for me, Bobs. I’m a big girl.” That sounded sexier in her head. She was cringing internally at the corniness, but Bobby didn’t seem to mind.

“Well, if you were my girl, I’d have to protect you from assholes anyways.”

Her pulse quickened. She could only wish she’d get there someday. “You’re admitting that one of your best lads is an asshole?”

“I know it doesn’t excuse it, but he hasn’t always been like this. I’ve tried talking to him about it, but I think he just speaks before he thinks,” he quickly ordered two tequila shots, before continuing. “Yeah, I think he’s an asshole. But he’s one of my best lads.”

That statement made her mad and the alcohol made her even angrier. “So you can respect women, but your best lad doesn’t have to?” She folded her arms, and Bobby’s eyes widened.

“I didn’t mean it like that, I swear –” he shook his head furiously.

“No, I get exactly what you mean, Bobby. I’m glad I’m worthy enough for your defense,” she snapped, fueled by the beer sloshing in her brain and stomach. “It’s hard enough being a woman who has to stick up for herself without pricks like Brodie being enabled by ‘nice guys’ like you! You need to seriously reevaluate yourself if you think that a friendship is more fucking important than a woman’s safety and comfortability.”

She’d never raised her voice at Bobby, and maybe the alcohol clouded her judgement and fueled her overreaction, but something in the way that he let Brodie’s behavior slide really fired something up in her. That mixed with her sexual frustration was what erupted the volcano.

The bartender slid them the shots, and she downed the tequila, sucking on the lime wedge.

“Babe, I don’t know the right thing to say right now, but I’ll just start by saying I’m really sorry,” the glimmer in his eye from earlier had vanished, replaced by hurt. “I’ll do better. I know it’s wrong, and it doesn’t excuse it. You’re right. I could’ve stopped this a long time ago, but instead I’m just letting it happen. He disrespected you and made you feel uncomfortable, and it makes me mad to think that I just froze.”

His posture had deflated, and he was staring at the ground. Her chest was hit with a sudden pang of guilt.

She pulled his chin up to meet his eyes. “No, I’m sorry for blowing up on you. Brodie’s actions aren’t your fault at all. I think it’s the alcohol, but I shouldn’t have raised my voice at you. Can you forgive me?”

He watched her incredulously. “You shouldn’t be apologizing, lass.”

She pushed the tequila shot towards him. “Come on, Bobs. Take the shot so we can dance and forget about this argument.”

He wrapped his fingers around the shot, but shook his head, and she could tell the pints were catching up to him like it had her. “I don’t think I can forget this. I just wanted a night out with my lads and my girl, and now I’m realizing that I’m so fucking complacent that I let bad things happen to people I love.”

His wording made her breath catch in her throat. She stepped towards him, wrapping an arm around his waist. “Hey, seriously, Bobs, the alcohol is making us both crazy. Let’s just go dance and if you’re still upset tomorrow, we can talk about it.”

He smiled, and brought the glass to his lips, tilting his head back to swallow the mouthful of tequila. He shuddered, and then took my hand. “Well, let’s go bust a move then, lass.”

\----


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sofia's relationship with Bobby is tested in multiple ways.
> 
> continuation of her night at the club and the events afterwards!
> 
> (this was originally one chapter, but I had to split it into two. think of this as part 1)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi everyone! kind of nervous to post this new chapter - i know i’ve been gone for almost a month. i’ve been dealing with some mental health issues and writer’s block, so i took a pretty long break! i’m really sorry - i know a few of you have been looking forward to consistent uploads and i promise i’m gonna try my hardest to get back on track :)
> 
> it took me so long to write the next to chapters (7 and 8) because it was originally a mega-chapter that was 20+ pages. i kept adding and adding and had so much anxiety about how i felt where the story was going. i had to step back for a couple weeks and take time for myself before coming back, and i feel so much better! :) i wasn’t that anxious about posting the first 6 chapters, but for some reason, writing the intimate parts/conflict was really hard for me. i put a lot of thought into these next few chapters, so i hope you enjoy! thank you so much to everyone who’s still reading :) yall are the best!

Bobby led her to the brightly lit dance floor, as another bass heavy rap song flooded through the speakers.

They’d never danced together, so it could’ve gone either way: really awkward or raunchy as hell.

The tequila shot had pushed her a little past tipsy, so that her muscles were relaxed, and her ability to feel secondhand embarrassment was gone.

He let go of her hand when they found a space big enough to have a little elbow room. She glanced over and saw Jonno making out with a girl who was grinding on his crotch simultaneously.

Bobby pulled her close, and said in her ear, “This is just the beginning of Jonno’s shenanigans. We might not see much of him tonight.”

“Might not see much of him? He’s one unzipped fly away from a public fuck, Bobs.”

He cackled, and she began swaying, seamlessly transitioning them from a lighthearted joke to a sexy dance. He followed suit, his hands dangerously low on the small of her back.

Once the chorus of the song hit, she started to recognize it, so she pulled back from Bobby, planning to give him a show. She mouthed the lyrics, and slightly squatted, placing her hands on her thighs, popping the small of her back to the beat. She’d always loved twerking, even if the name was stupid… but she was pretty good at it.

Bobby’s eyes widened as she rose back to a standing position and slowly rotated, gyrating her ass to the beat. She didn’t consider her dance overtly sexual, but she was nervous of the rising tension, so she just went back to swaying her hips and using animated hand motions to go along with the lyrics.

The heavy bass faded out into a sexy R&B song, and she saw the glimmer return to Bobby’s eye. It genuinely scared her that she was the reason it had left in the first place. She’d have done anything to keep it there, so she decided to let the alcohol guide her decisions for a bit. She knew it’d probably backfire, but she didn’t care. She wanted him to stay as carefree as possible.

She tugged on Bobby’s belt loops, and leaned in to plant a soft kiss on his parted lips. She leaned over to purr into his ear. “I want to turn it up a notch, babe.”

She quickly flipped around, and before he could react, she pressed back into his body, and slid up and down tantalizingly. She moved his hands to rest on her thighs, and she began tortuously grinding into his dick to the beat of the song, feeling his fingers dig into the fabric of her dress. She reached back and rubbed his neck and chest as they moved their bodies together to the music.

He leaned forward to whisper in her ear. “You’re so fucking sexy, Sofia.”

She laid her head back to kiss his jaw. “So are you, Bobs.”

She leaned forward and braced her hands on her knees, lazily circling her ass against the front of his jeans. He gripped frantically at her hips, pushing against her. His bulge grew harder with each motion.

She hadn’t pegged Bobby as a dancing type, but he got into it like she did. He took charge, pulling her upwards so that her back pressed against his chest, kissing her neck as she continued grinding against him.

He matched her movements, his bulge never leaving my bottom. She wasn’t usually a person to be pro PDA, but she couldn’t help it. She hadn’t been this intimate with anyone in a long time. She’d danced with men at the club before, but she hadn’t had the same connection with them like she had with Bobby.

He grabbed her hips and turned her around, one hand on her waist, one gripping her right cheek. His eyes were clouded over with lust. The way he looked at her, mixed with the alcohol, made her throb in her most sensitive places. She pulled his face to hers, and their lips smashed together with an intensity that made her heart rate quicken.

He squeezed her closer to him, his dreads just long enough to tickle her forehead. He ran his tongue lightly over her bottom lip, so she parted them, eager to taste him. She smelled a hint of his teakwood-infused aftershave, and internally smiled at the thought of baby-faced Bobby shaving.

His floral print shirt was halfway buttoned down, revealing his freckle-peppered chest. She pressed her chest closer to him, feeling the top of her tits meet his toned chest, prompting her to moan.

She was so horny and tipsy that she couldn’t stop herself from what she wanted.

They parted after a few more seconds after they heard Jonno whooping from behind them.

“Tonight’s been perfect so far, lass,” He said into her ear. His hazel eyes were practically twinkling.

The song faded out, and a more upbeat rap song blared throughout the club. She yanked him closer by his collar, pressing her lips against his softly but sensuously.

“Mmmm,” she heard him groan against her lips.

“I think I want to take a break and drink one more pint and I’ll be good for the night,” she said, holding up a finger. She laced her fingers through his and led him back to their table, where Logan and Brodie were still sitting.

“I’ll go grab the pints and bring them back for us, babe,” Bobby said in her ear, kissing her cheek before jogging to the bar.

She plopped down next to Logan, grabbing her mirror out of her purse to check her lipstick.

“I thought you two were just friends?”

She glanced over to see Logan smirking at her. “We are. What’s it to you?”

“Hey hey, I’m just teasing,” he put his hands up in surrender. “Obviously it isn’t my business what you two do – or don’t do,” he added after seeing my furrowed brows. “But I’ve got a right to be cautious, at least. I’ve known Bobby for a long time and he’s had shit luck with women.”

She shrugged. “We’ve only known each other for a month. We don’t talk about past romances. It’s not necessary right now.”

“We know Jonno told you about Bobby’s ex.” She looked up to see Brodie’s shit-eating grin.

“Get to the point soon, Brodie. I’m already sick of hearing your voice,” she snapped, a little too aggressively. Where the fuck was he going with that?

“You just don’t know when to shut the fuck up, do you Brodie?” Logan seethed, obviously upset that Brodie was beating him to the chase.

“I just said one thing –”

“Anyways, we can both confirm that it was as bad as Jonno said. We’ve all known Bobby for a long time, and I think I speak for all of us when we say that we can’t see him like that again,” he said matter-of-factly.

“What do you mean?” She asked nervously, her mind racing.

“He used to have this romance movie-like vision for what he thought love was supposed to be. He was obsessed with finding the girl for him. He thought he had found it in his ex. He thought for months that he’d spend the rest of his life with this girl. He told us all the time about his plans and how happy he was. I couldn’t imagine finding out that it was all a lie the way he did.” They both slowly shook their heads.

“Sofia, it was horrible. He’s a bright person, and his light was completely gone. He didn’t even take a day of work off after it happened. He kept going through the motions. He didn’t eat. He didn’t sleep. He rarely laughed or joked around,” Logan took her hand and looked her deep in the eyes. The image of an empty Bobby flashed through her mind.

“Everything about him changed. If you truly care about Bobby, please be careful. We’re his best lads, and we’re the ones that have to pick up the pieces after women hurt him. I can tell you’re not like her, but we had to at least warn you.”

A tear (she didn’t notice had formed) streaked down her cheek. She wiped it away and shook her head. “I’d never hurt him. I’d feel like the lowest sack of shit wanker in the world if I did that to him.”

They smiled, and Logan nodded knowingly. “Sorry to bombard you like this. I just didn’t know if we’d be able to get you alone at all, before…” He looked like he was searching for the right words.

“What Logan’s trying to say is that Bobby really likes you and we wanted to talk to you before it got serious,” Brodie added, the first truly sensible thing he said the whole night. “He’d do anything to be around you, right?” He elbowed Logan.

“Right.”

“He practically stranded himself to spend more time with his ‘lass’,” he laughed, and Logan froze, his eyes widening.

“Shut the fuck up, Brodie,” he punched his shoulder.

“Stranded himself?” She was confused. She didn’t really think anything of it, but Logan looked like he’d seen a ghost, and Brodie looked guilty.

“Please forget we said that last bit. Bobby’s coming. Please don’t mention this to him,” Logan pleaded, and she shrugged. It was very peculiar, but she trusted Bobby enough to let him bring it up on his own time.

“Hey, guys, I grabbed all of us pints…” Bobby’s voice trailed off as he saw his friends’ expressions.

“Logan and Brodie were just giving me a pep talk. I think I’m lad-approved,” she joked, seeing the relieved look in their eyes.

“I hope they didn’t embarrass me!” He laughed, maybe a bit nervously, placing the brimming pint glasses on the table.

He plopped next to her, and she leaned into his body. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and squeezed me close.

The club was more tightly packed than it was earlier. She had no idea how long they’d been there, but it was obvious that whatever time it was was its peak hour.

“Well, now they have to since you’re here, Bobs,” she gestured at his friends. “I’m assuming you have ample blackmail against him, so I’m going to need some embarrassing stories.” She bent and straightened her hand in a “cough it up” gesture.

“Bobby once farted so loud that he turned on a clapping activated light,” Logan grinned. “My grandma was so confused that the light turned on at 4 a.m.”

Bobby blushed furiously, glancing at her and grimacing. “It’s not my fault I was blessed with powerful bowels.”

She cackled, my body racked with gasps. “Bobby, you–you can’t be serious–”

His face lit up, and he started laughing with her. “Why would any of us lie about that? It’s too weird of a lie!”

“Please tell me more.” She looked at Logan and Brodie.

“When we were in secondary school, Bobby found an unused menstrual pad and stuck it to his backpack because he thought it was an ‘airplane sticker’,” Brodie chuckled, and soon the whole table was uncontrollably laughing.

“Okay, okay, I’m good for the night! It’s not fair to put him in the spotlight when we haven’t shared any stories of our own,” she said. She chugged her pint, and covered her mouth to conceal an ungodly belch.

The music was too loud for Logan and Brodie to hear her burp, but Bobby heard it loud and clear. He laughed, and squeezed her shoulder. “Why am I more attracted to you now than ever?”

She rolled her eyes, a smile tugging at her lips. “You’re sweet, but women burp, Bobs. You’ll have to get used to me doing that if you wanna be around me.”

Bobby laughed harder. “No, you’re somethin’ else, lass. You’re one of a kind.” He kissed her cheek, the warm fuzzies she’d felt earlier when she took a tequila shot intensified through her chest and spread throughout her body.

Finally, the fact she’d been repressing bubbled to the surface. She could never be “just friends” with Bobby.

She could never be “just friends” with someone who made her feel the way Bobby did. Why should she hold herself back from the inevitable? She knew he would never hurt her, so she did the exact opposite of what her brain had been telling her to do.

“Do you want to get out of here, babe?” She purred into his ear, the alcohol in her system boosting her confidence.

He froze, but maintained his facial expression, probably so that his friends wouldn’t be alarmed.

“Sofia, we’ve been drinking…” he objected, searching her eyes. “You’re not in the right mindset to make this decision.”

She shook her head. “I’m tipsy, Bobby, but I know what I’m doing. We’ve been holding off because of me, but I can’t anymore.” She leaned into his ear again. “I want you.”

He shivered slightly, just enough for her to notice. Logan and Brodie were chatting amongst themselves, completely oblivious.

She laid her hand on his thigh, her fingers grazing his bulge. “I don’t know about you, but I could barely hold myself back this week. I acted like I had restraint, but I really don’t. I was going to give in eventually. The only thing holding us back is my stupid rule.” Her other hand rested on his chest. “I know we care about each other and we have an amazing bond. You can’t deny that.”

He shook his head, glancing down at her hand. “We do.” He wrapped his hand around hers and pulled it away from his thigh. “Are you sure? I’m tipsy, too, but I just don’t want us to do anything we’ll regret.”

She held his gaze, speaking self-assuredly. “Bobby, I’ve wanted to have sex with you since the moment I met you. I’m glad we waited and got to know each other as friends first, but it didn’t push me off from wanting that with you at all. If anything, I’ve been struggling to hold it in . I want you so much more because we have a deep connection.”

“Sofia…” He trailed off, the internal struggle written across his features. He was silent for a couple of seconds, eyes darting around the room.

The embarrassment began to set in.

“If you’re not ready, I understand. I know I sprung this on you. I’m so sorry. I think… I’m gonna go get another drink –” She began to stand.

He grabbed her arm lightly, tugging her back down. “I want you, too,” He said slowly, and she could see the gears turning in his head as he tried to articulate his feelings. “I needed to know you were sure, lass. I think you are. I’d never want you to do something you’ll regret. But…” he trailed off, glancing at her lips.

“If we mull over everything that could go wrong, we’d be here all night,” she joked. “I don’t think we’ll regret this, Bobs.” She laced her fingers in his, grinning widely.

He turned to his lads, and they said their goodbyes. She hugged them both, promising to hang out with them next time she was in Glasgow. They popped by the dance floor to say bye to Jonno, and they were out the door.

\----

They could barely restrain themselves in the back of the taxi. The sexual tension was practically dripping off of them, and she knew the poor driver could probably feel it. She could tell he was praying that they didn’t wreck his backseat.

They kept it PG until they made it to their front door.

While he fumbled with his keys, she hugged him from behind, kissing his shirt and lazily stroking the front of his jeans. She felt him harden under her palm, and she groaned into his back.

He shuddered, and drew her inside, practically slamming the door behind them. His mouth was on hers instantly, a sensual intensity behind each movement of their mouths.

He pressed his body against hers, her back against the cool surface of the door. She shivered, and Bobby chuckled against her lips.

She pulled back momentarily, scanning his face. His neat dreads, full brows, hazel eyes, freckle-specked cheekbones, and full lips made for a gorgeous man. One that was looking at her with pure adoration, and a flicker of something in his eye she didn’t recognize that made her thighs clench.

“If you’d have told me a month ago that I’d be hooking up with the man of my dreams, I’d have told you that you were crazy. The universe really wanted us to meet, Bobs.” Alcohol made her a little too honest for her liking.

His brows furrowed, and he moved away from her, walking to the couch. He plopped down and buried his head in his hands. After an uncomfortable silence, he spoke. “I have something to tell you, Sofia.”

She felt her heart rate quicken.

“Before I say anything, please believe that I didn’t know everything else was going to line up like it did,” he said, finally looking at her, still hunched over.

“Bobs, you’re scaring me.” She stood awkwardly at the door, wringing her hands in anticipation.

“I know you’ve been saying that everything that’s happened between us is fate, and I totally believe that.” He rose from the couch and went to the window, hands on his hips. He blew air from his cheeks, and spoke towards the window. He couldn’t make eye contact with her.

“But I lied to you, lass.”

Her heart rate reached a fever pitch, and her mind raced at all the possibilities, from being a stalker to being secretly married or super old, like Esther from Orphan. It probably wasn’t likely any of them, especially the last one, but her imagination got the best of her.

“I don’t know how else to tell you, so I’ll just come out and say it. I lied about being without a car. I knew you were heading back to Glasgow that day, so I turned it in the night before and hoped for the best. I know it sounds manipulative, and I feel like a sleazeball after admitting it out loud. I’m so sorry, lass.”

Her breath caught in her throat. This whole time she thought that circumstances brought them together, but in reality, he exploited her kindness so he could get her alone.

He turned to her and looked at her with pleading eyes. “Can I explain why I did it? I know it’s wrong, but I didn’t do it to be a weirdo.”

“Yeah,” she said. Her body was rigid with anxiety.

“After our date, I thought I’d never see you again. I usually don’t make it past the first date with girls, and I was scared that would happen with us,” he said under his breath, a sheepish look on his face. “I didn’t know if you’d talk to me after doing business with me, and spending time with you when you visited Glasgow was a gamble. I didn’t know that your boss was going to fuck you over and that you’d call me and ask to stay for the week.

“If I knew, I’d never had done it, I swear. I know I sound desperate, but I really was. You have to believe me, lass,” he begged. He ran his fingers through his dreads, shaking his head incredulously. “It sounds really fucking dumb explaining it out loud.”

After a couple seconds, he met her eyes with anticipation. She held a hand up, letting him know she was processing everything. “I don’t know what to think right now, Bobby.”

She didn’t know whether to be freaked out or kind of flattered. After a brief deliberation, she decided she was more freaked out. He took advantage of the situation to get her alone, after only knowing her for a couple of weeks. He had only seen her in person twice.

“I never intended to hurt you. I had to tell you before we went further. I’d be disgusting if I slept with you and didn’t tell you,” he pleaded.

She felt her blood boil. “You waited until we were about to rip each others’ clothes off to tell me? That’s fucking irresponsible.”

He nodded, flinching at her tone of voice. “I know.”

“This whole time I thought that we were intentionally put in each others’ lives by a cosmic force, but in reality, you toyed with the situation!” She cried incredulously. “This wouldn’t have been a big deal if you had just fucking told me in the car! You had seven fucking hours to tell me, Bobs.”

She shook her head, tears clouding her vision, her rage bubbling through her throat, slipping past her lips without a second thought. “Why couldn’t you have just told me the truth? You admitting you wanted to spend time with me would have given me butterflies.”

A tear streaked down her face. “You’d rather bottle up your feelings about me and lie to my face. You’d really rather make an arse of yourself than just tell me the truth?”

He recoiled, her words striking a chord with him. “I… don’t know what to say. You’re right, Sofia, and I’m sorry.”

“This whole time I was worried that sex would jeopardize our friendship, and instead it was a stupid lie?” She shook my head. “You’ll do anything to avoid conflict, and in this case, you created an issue where there wasn’t one.”

She folded her arms and paced back and forth through his living room. “I understand where you’re coming from, but why couldn’t you have been honest with me? If I’m the first person to make you feel a certain way, then why couldn’t you open up to me?”

“Lass, I barely knew you then–”

“You barely know me now!” She threw her hands up and let them fall to her thighs, the loud slapping noise piercing the deafening silence.

“I’d like to think that I know you enough to call you a friend, Sofia.” He looked at her hopefully.

“This might sound really cliche, but I thought I knew you. I didn’t think you’d lie to me. Especially this early,” she said, feeling a tear drip onto her bottom lip.

“Please don’t cry, babe,” he pleaded with her, stepping towards her.

“Part of me understands why you did what you did, but the other part of me is devastated. I’m hurt that you didn’t feel comfortable enough with me to tell the truth.” She blinked, feeling her shoulders shake with a sob.

Her lips quivered, and she broke down, covering her face with her hands as I wept. After a couple of seconds, Bobby’s arms were wrapped around her, and she melted into them. He led her to the couch to sit down. As she cried, Bobby stroked her back with one hand.

\----


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bobby apologizes, and things get steamy!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey everyone!!! thanks so much to everyone who's been reading and who've kept up with this story thus far. i have absolutely loved bringing this to life; still not sure when it's going to end, as i'm still planning and writing.
> 
> that being said, the smut's finally here!!! this is my first time writing a slow burn and super in detail smut, so please be nice haha i'm still not sure i'm reaching the right amount of sexy, funny, and poetic like most fic writers have mastered in smutty bobby fics lol. i hope you all enjoy!!! it took me WEEKS to get through this because I wanted to make sure everything was just right - still not 100% happy with it, but i know that realistically as a writer i'll always pick apart my own work. again, thank you so much, and i appreciate every comment i get! <3
> 
> (random interjection if anyone gets to reading this: is it weird to go back and edit chapter titled and add in a name for my MC? not sure if i'll name mc, but i want to name the chapters. i'm so indecisive but i just wanted to know if anyone else has went back and added stuff to their fic after publishing?? lmao if anyone read this thank u, i appreciate u)

After what seemed like half an hour, she felt his lips press against her cheek. Bobby spoke slowly, deliberating every word before he said it. “It’s hard for me to talk about my feelings, lass, so I’m sorry if this comes out weird. I’ve never met anyone like you, Sofia. You’re so beautiful and fierce and passionate and unapologetic. I wish I was more like you, because the world would be a better place. I know I’ve only known you for a month, but you’ve… filled a void in my heart. Whether it’s friendship or something else, you’ve helped mend me after my last breakup.”

She lifted her head and met his gaze, their faces mere inches apart. “I know you’ve heard about it from all of my friends, and it was as bad as they said. I never thought I’d get back to the old me… until I met you.”

She choked back a sob, tears flowing again. He tucked a strand of hair behind her ears and laid his palm on her cheek. “100% honesty, no bullshit: I can’t imagine my life without you. And I have feelings for you. I like you, and I want you in my life in any capacity. From the bottom of my heart, I couldn’t be more sorry that I hurt you. I know why it was wrong, and I promise you I’ll never lie to you again. I never meant to hurt you, and I promise I won’t do it again.” She searched his eyes for a hint of deception, but all she found was an unfeigned gaze. She could see that he meant every word.

As soon as he finished his powerful monologue, he held up his pinky finger. “Pinky promise, lass.”

She hooked his finger in hers, then she smashed her mouth to his. He said everything she needed to hear. Maybe she was forgiving him too quickly, but she’d worry about that later.

He made a mistake, but he owned up to it and proclaimed his feelings for her, without being sheepish about it. She knew Bobby, and she knew his heart – the sincerity oozed out of every word. It was a perfect scene straight out of a movie.

She straddled him, and eagerly unbuttoned his shirt. She tore it off his body, running her hands down his chest and his chiseled abdomen. She parted her lips, running her tongue lightly over his full bottom lip, inciting a groan from the back of his throat.

The passion she felt from this kiss was unlike any kiss she’d felt before. She had never kissed someone that she… loved. She wasn’t ready to admit it out loud, but subconsciously, she loved Bobby. She loved him in all capacities: as friends and as lovers.

The warmth she felt in his arms, their lips connected in the most romantic embrace she’d felt in her life, mixed with the built up tension made for an erotic cocktail. She thought that she was like most career-oriented women that had no time for relationships – she filled her relationship void with hot sex with men that she barely knew the names of. But in this moment, tangling her tongue with Bobby’s, feeling his strong hands on her body, so tender and gentle, she knew that having sex with someone she cared deeply for was going to be the best of her life.

She parted their lips quickly to pull her dress over her head, and tried to bring her face back to Bobby’s, but he stopped her, a look of awe in his eyes. “You’re so perfect.”

He ran his palms up her stomach and lightly gripped her breasts, prompting her to intake a sharp breath.

She pushed Bobby back against the couch, and sucked on his bottom lip softly. “You are too, babe.”

He kissed her collarbone and began to gently roll the buds of her nipples between his fingers. She gasped, and arched her back in response, which made her lean back so that her tits were in his face. He took advantage of her body’s reply by capturing her left nipple between his lips.

She clutched at his head, her fingers knotting in his dreads. “Bobby…” she whispered, grinding tantalizingly against his jeans.

He groaned, vibrating her breast, and her thighs clenched in anticipation. Their lips met again, moving slower and more sensually than before.

She kissed his chin, neck, collarbone, freckled chest, stomach, peppering kisses across his abdomen until she could get his belt undone.

His breath caught when she unbuttoned his jeans and rubbed her hand across his boxers, feeling him pulse beneath her hand. He watched her every move through half-lidded eyes.

She tugged at the waistband of his boxers, and Bobby raised his hips and shimmied so she could pull his pants down enough for his dick to burst out, almost fully erect.

She’d never been one to have a preference when it came to dick sizes, because she truly believed that size doesn’t matter – it’s how they wield it. But after seeing Bobby’s, she hoped she was getting the best of both worlds.

She ran her fingertips lightly up and down his shaft, hearing him pant. She gripped him, and began pumping him slowly. His mouth parted, her name forming on his lips, but no sound came out.

She pushed herself upward from the ground in a comfortable kneeling position so that she’d have the best access to him. She parted his legs and leaned her bare breasts against his jeans, and grazed her tongue across the tip of his penis, tasting the bead of precum he’d produced from their makeout.

His eyes widened as she lowered her mouth onto his shaft, her lips applying the slightest bit of pressure as she pulled up. She felt him throb in her mouth, which ignited a fire in her.

Bobby was so responsive to her touch, so she decided to put on a whole show for him. It was probably the best blowjob she’d ever given in her life. She kinda wished she’d gotten it on camera to take notes later.

She might’ve been a stickler for relationships. She might’ve been a cautious, ambitious woman that scared off most men, but she couldn’t deny that she loves sex. It brought out a side of her that no one except for her one-night-stands got to see.

She pumped him in and out of her mouth, getting closer and closer to hitting her uvula. She maintained eye contact with him the whole time, watching him as his eyes fluttered and rolled back as she returned her hand to his shaft, sucking and gripping sloppily.

There’s something about eye contact during blowjobs that’s an indescribable intimacy. She was getting off just by seeing Bobby writhe under her touch. She knew exactly what to do for him just by watching his body language.

He grinded his hips lazily, threading his fingers into her hair. She could feel him guiding her head to the right pace, and she happily obliged. He hardened further in her mouth, and then abruptly pulled her head back. “Sorry, lass, if you kept going like that, I’d be a goner.”

She kissed his shaft then stood up to kiss him. “What if I wanted you to be a goner all over my chest?” She whispered into his ear.

He shuddered, and took advantage of his position, standing up and tossing her over his shoulder. “Hey! Put me down!” she laughed, slapping his back lightly.

He booked it towards his bedroom. “Not a chance.” She was so surprised at how strong he was. She wasn’t a small girl – she probably weighed closer to his weight than he thought, but he toted her effortlessly to his room and jumped onto the bed.

She bounced on my back, cackling, and he laid his head on her stomach for a few seconds, his back rising and falling with the movements of his laughter. She rubbed her hand mindlessly in circles on his back. “Warn me if you’re gonna pick me up again, Bobs. I still have alcohol in my system and I’d hate to projectile vomit on your bed.”

He pulled back and looked at her confused. “You must be joking, lass. You just gave me wild head where you bobbed your head for minutes.”

She laughed, and trapped a dread between her pointer finger and thumb, twisting it lightly. He pretended to blow a piece of hair out of his eyes.

His smile softened, and she could tell he was proceeding with caution. “Are you sure you want to do this, Sofia?”

She took a deep breath, the question reeling in her mind. Was she ready for this?

Even if she thought she could handle having sex with him, what if their feelings got in the way? What if they couldn’t handle going back to being just friends? What if one of them wasn’t ready to be more?

The thoughts nagged at her, until she shoved them into a filing cabinet in the back of her brain next to all of her other traumas. She needed confidence to go through with it, and every second she mulled over the worst-case scenarios, it chipped away at her resolve.

She exhaled, her shoulders sinking, her tension dissolving. “Only if you’re sure.”

He pushed himself closer to her face, and pressed his lips against hers. “I’ve never been more sure of something, lass.”

She pulled him on top of her, running her hands along his back to cup his firm behind. He jumped a bit, then waggled his butt, winking at her. “I know I’m thick, babes.”

“You bet your sweet ass.” She giggled, and wrapped her arms around his neck.

“That was a good one, lass.”

Their mouths met, and they moved together slowly, passionately, their warm tongues interwoven. It was like they were speaking a whole new language, and they were both fluent.

He ran his right hand down her ribcage, and slipped his fingers into her panties. Her breath hitched, and he moved to kiss her neck. His fingers stroked her folds delicately, and she parted her legs in response.

When his fingers met her tingling bud, she whimpered quietly, closing her eyes. “Bobby…”

He rubbed her in circles tantalizingly, and she began grinding her hips against his hand in reply. She became more vocal as he picked up his speed, moaning in his ear.

She lost it for a second, and instead of continually kneading her clit when it wasn’t in the right spot, it’s like he knew. He readjusted his fingers and speed, knowing exactly what to do to bring her closer to the edge.

She felt herself approaching the peak of the hill, ready for her release, when Bobby lowered his fingers, pushing a single finger inside of her. “Is this okay, baby?”

Her mouth gaped open. “Oh my god, yes…” He kissed her neck, suckling her skin. He stuck another finger in, and slid them in and out of her at a steady pace. He used his thumb to lightly graze her sensitive clit, and it left her wondering who the fuck taught him how to work a woman like that?

He curled his fingers inside of her, and she cried out, feeling even closer to release than before.

He took his fingers out of her, and before he could use that hand to slip her panties off, she brought them to my face.

He watched me in absolute awe as she ran a tongue across his knuckles before sucking her own taste off of his slick fingers. “Sofia…” He was speechless, his half-lidded eyes heavily clouded with lust. The usual playfulness and twinkle in his eye was gone. His pupils, wide and fixated, were roaming across her body.

Her heart thumped in her chest. She didn’t know what was coming, but she knew that Bobby would be damn near unrecognizable in bed, just like her.

He tore her panties off of her, and slid up to her entrance, kissing her inner thigh. He gripped the back of her upper thigh to hold me in place, and she practically panted as he maintained eye contact with her while he kissed closer and closer to her folds.

When she felt his soft tongue against her clit, she arched her back, and he dug his fingers into her thighs as a response. She closed her eyes and lost herself in the toe-curling sensation.

He fit perfectly between her legs, and seemed at home there, like it was his favorite place in the world. She’d been with men who reciprocated oral, and some who demanded blowjobs, but refused to pleasure her in that way. But Bobby? He was one in a million. It’s like he got off on her body’s response to his tongue.

She got closer and closer to the edge of the cliff, and dove off, feeling the adrenaline high from the fall. Her legs shook, clenching Bobby’s face between her legs. She felt her heart rate return closer to normal, and she sighed contentedly.

“Christ, Bobs. I didn’t know you were that eager to please.” She laughed, wiping the sweat from her forehead.

He kissed her inner thigh gently, and smiled up at her. “Yeah, yeah I know I was a little overzealous.”

She rustled his hair. “It was incredible. Do you wanna do more? I can finish you off and we –”

“No I want to keep going,” he cut her off, his voice sincere. He furrowed his brows, then laughed. “The phrase ‘finish you off’ is so funny, because I know what you mean, but it kinda sounds like you’re going to kill me. Mortal Kombat style.”

She clasped her thighs around Bobby’s face, squishing so that he made a ‘fish’ face. He pretended to struggle against her, then stuck his tongue out, closing his eyes.

She dramatically fell back onto the pillows, gasping. “Good thing I got rid of Bobby the Baker before he could find out about my secret affair with ‘The Muffin Man’ who lives on Drury Lane.”

He pounced on top of her, and gathered her hands above her head, trapping them in his firm grasp. “I doubt the Muffin Man could make you feel the way I just did.”

She breathed as he nibbled her earlobe and neck. “I think you’re right, Bobs.”

“Let me know however many nursery rhyme characters I need to fight. I could beat Humpty Dumpty easily,” he smirked, and lowered himself to my right breast.

He trapped the skin next to her nipple between his lips, suckling hard. Just as she was getting into it, he pulled back and kissed the skin where the hickey was beginning to darken. “I wanted you to have a reminder of tonight. And a warning signal for the Muffin Man,” he shimmied out of his pants, and grabbed a condom from his drawer.

He positioned himself above her, and pressed his lips on hers. She tasted herself again, and it turned her on even more than she thought it could. “I taste pretty good.” She smirked, kissing him deeply.

“You taste amazing,” he smiled against her lips.

He lined himself up to my entrance, and she sucked in a breath as she anticipated the initial pleasurable pain. “You okay with this, lass?”

She nodded, and wrapped her legs around his waist, prompting his tip to push into her slowly. He gasped, and then eased into her halfway.

She moaned, letting her body adjust to him. He was thicker than she thought, but she could tell it’d feel otherworldly when he was all the way in.

“Are you good?” His voice was strained, and she could tell by the look in his eyes that he wanted to fill her completely.

“Yeah,” she breathed, and tightened her legs, pushing him in all the way.

He began rocking into her at a snail’s pace and she closed her eyes, grinding her hips. “Fuck, lass.”

She raised up to kiss him, but fell back onto the pillow as he picked up the pace. He leaned back onto his knees, and draped her ankle over his shoulder, deepening his thrust.

“Oh my god,” she moaned.

“You feel so good, lass,” he said, his eyes never leaving hers. Her face contorted, a feeling of ecstasy flowing through her veins.

“What usually turns you on during sex?” She asked through moans, gripping the pillow above her head.

“I’m a little too distracted to answer that, lass,” he laughed, concentrating on pumping into her.

He slipped his arms under her lower back and flipped her, propping her ass up. She moaned into the pillow as he pushed into her once more, the different angle prompting her to push her hips back into him.

He gripped her ass, digging his fingers into her cheeks. For what seemed like hours, the only sound in the room was the slapping of their skin and the vocalization of their pleasure.

Before she knew it, she was laying on her side with Bobby spooning her. “To answer you, my favorite position is spooning because it’s intimate.”

“I’ll always associate spooning with you then, babes,” she said, reaching back to guide his dick back inside of her.

He kissed her neck, and reached around to stroke her clit. She mewled in response, threading her fingers through his dreads.

“You’re so fucking beautiful, lass, oh my god,” he moaned into her ear, prompting her to roll her eyes closed.

“One of my turn ons is talking me through an orgasm,” she breathed, hooking her leg over the back of his knee.

He used his other hand to grab her chin and turn her face towards his, their mouths meeting in a frenzy of passion.

He picked up the speed of his hips, while also caressing her clit faster. She whimpered, panting his name softly.

“Do you like that?” He kissed her ear, nibbling at her lobe.

She nodded, not able to respond since she was so close.

“I love being so deep in you, baby,” he breathed into her ear. “Are you close?”

“Yes,” she breathed, her hips grinding against Bobby’s hand and dick. “Harder, please.” She could barely form sentences.

He picked up the pace, practically slamming into her. She couldn’t get enough. The moans leaving her mouth were loud and foreign to her. She couldn’t remember the last time she was nearly yelling in bed.

She fixated on the mix of moans and words in her ear, climbing closer to the edge.

“Fuck, lass, I don’t know if I can hold on for much longer,” he huffed into her ear. “Fuck, you feel so good. God. Yes.” He said into her ear, coaxing her to her own climax.

She focused on the combination of his voice, hands, and dick, her mouth agape with Bobby’s name forming on her lips. “Bobby, fuck, oh my god,” She whined, pleasure exploding throughout her core.

Her legs shook as the heat resided, Bobby still pumping into her at a quick pace. “Oh my god, I’m – Sofia,” he groaned, gripping her waist as he came.

She leaned back to kiss him as his hip movements slowed, and they stayed like that for a while, making out with him still inside of her.

She didn't know when they stopped kissing and started cuddling softly. Everything blurred together into a state of pure bliss.

After they came down, she mustered up the courage to speak.  “I’m really sorry.”

He looked at her startled, breaking his post sex emersion. “Babe, what do you mean?”

He propped himself up on his hand, lying next to her, still naked. He waited for her to explain.

“I really didn’t mean to snap on Brodie. I shouldn’t have done that. He didn’t even say anything that bad. I’ve had much worse said to my face before.”

He shook his head. “That doesn’t absolve him of blame, though. Or me.”

“No, babe. I mean… I don’t really know why I blow up like that. Sometimes it just kind of explodes out of me.” She curled up under his arm and nuzzled his neck. “I’ve always had a temper, but even though I’ve always been feisty, when I was a kid, I couldn’t just blow up like I can now. I used to be singled out and picked on in a group, so if I tried standing up for myself it made it so much worse, so I was forced to keep my mouth shut for my own good. All I wanted was to have control of the situation.”

He absentmindedly drew circles on her arm, and she sighed deeply before continuing. “I know it seemed really out of place for me. I know I’m not a mean person, but blowing up on Brodie like that really made me look like an asshole.”

“It didn’t, lass. You looked like a woman who doesn’t take shit.”

“That’s just it, though, babe. I had to take shit for so long that now I can’t even take the slightest bit of it anymore. People probably think I’m unhinged. It’s like I hear one person slightly disrespect me or say something derogatory and instead of hearing it for what it is, I imagine those kids that bullied me over my weight. I saw red when Brodie looked at me and my body like that.”

He hugged her tighter.

“I need to work on that aspect of me. I should’ve moved past this already since I’m a grown woman, and I truly thought I had, but obviously I need to go back to therapy,” she chuckled, but it sounded alien to her, like it was coming from someone else.

“I hope my temper doesn’t turn you off from being around me. I know I fucked up, and I hope you wouldn’t mind if I got Brodie’s number from you, because he deserves a genuine apology from me,” she sniffled, tears of shame flooding her vision.

“I feel horrible that I made a bad first impression, but even worse that I embarrassed your friend,” She turned to him, the tears sliding out of the corner of her eye towards her ear. “But above all that, I hurt you. I yelled at you, and I had no authority to do that. You don’t control what he does, and even then I overreacted. I had no right to take it out on you.”

He placed a hand on her face, wiping away the tears that pooled on the side of her nose. “You’re completely forgiven, lass.” He kissed her softly, and she smiled against his lips.

“I need to apologize to you again,” he said, his hand still resting on her face. “I wouldn’t feel right if I didn’t do it again.”

She stayed quiet, waiting for him to continue. “I’ve struggled for so long with talking about how I feel, in any situation. I hate bringing attention to myself in that way. I’d rather just move on and deal with things on my own. But I can’t do that with you anymore.

“I can’t even begin to tell you how much I regret returning my rental car. I felt a twinge in my stomach when I did it because I knew it was wrong. As soon as I handed over the keys, I said to myself, ‘Bobby, you have to tell her.’ I’m sorry I waited until the last possible second,” he stroked her face with his thumb softly.

“I shouldn’t have waited that long. I shouldn’t have done it in the first place. I tried to cheat to get ahead, when I could’ve just told you I cared about you and that I wanted to spend time with you. I can’t even begin to describe how dumb I feel for going through with it. I swear I’ll never do this again. I know I’ve hurt you, and that’s what I regret the most,” he searched her eyes, the look in his eyes one of despair. “You mean so much to me, Sofia. I’ll never jeopardize our relationship like that ever again.”

Relief flooded through her, and she snuggled close, kissing his chest. “I couldn’t get rid of you, Bobs. I don’t know what I’d do without you.” He laughed, and she could hear the rumble in his chest through her cheek. After their talking slowly fell into silence, they drifted into a deep, content sleep.

\----


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sofia reflects on her night with Bobby and regrets it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks to everyone for being so patient with me! i'm finally getting on track, and i feel great about it! this was another tough chapter to write - i had to listen to a loooot of sad music to get me in the mood to write this. it was so hard to figure out how i wanted mc to react. i figured some people could relate to the idea that sometimes we sabotage ourselves due to overthinking - i know a lot of times i get in my own head and my anxiety blocks good things from happening to me lol.
> 
> anyways, i hope you like this sad chapter!!! (and the fact that chelsea's becoming a more prevalent character;) ) happy reading! please let me know your thoughts - i appreciate every comment :)

The daylight streamed through the blinds, and she cracked an eye open to check the time. She froze when she felt the heat of Bobby’s body behind her, his breath on her bare skin.

“Holy shit. I slept with Bobby last night,” she thought frantically.

She went into absolute panic mode, her chest tightening. She quietly slipped out of bed and ran to the bathroom, her breath quickening at the realization that she was still completely naked.

“It wasn’t a dream. I fucked Bobby,” she freaked out.

She locked the door behind her and stared at myself in the mirror. Her hair was disheveled, and she definitely looked like she’d been through a night of drinking, but she had a lingering afterglow that couldn’t be mistaken.

She was completely wigging out, but beneath it all she was beaming from the incredible sex they’d had the night before.

She plopped onto the toilet, refusing to look at her reflection any longer.

“What the fuck am I going to do?” she thought, and hung her head in her hands. For a minute, the only sound in the room was the deep sighs through her mouth and out her nose.

She was so confident that what they were doing the night before was completely fine and that there’d be no repercussions. It looked like she’d thought every detail out, but her impulsiveness won over in the end, as usual. Anxiety clouded her thoughts, her hands trembling as she ran her fingers through her hair. Her head pounded relentlessly, the unfortunate product of pints and shots.

She regretted sleeping with Bobby. Not because she didn’t like him, but because she had admitted to herself the night before that she sensed herself falling for him, even though she was nowhere close to being able to say ‘I love you’. She had feelings she couldn’t nail down, because she’d never been through something like this before.

She was still young enough that it was understandable that she’d never been in love. She hadn’t ever been in love, but she could tell that being with Bobby was the closest she’d ever gotten, and it scared the shit out of her.

Bobby had told her that he liked her, but was it because he wanted sympathy since he’d fucked up? Did he just want to have sex with her, so he said anything she’d wanted to hear? Did he care about her like she cared about him? Did they connect as intensely as she thought? Or was all of that just in her head? Did they have meaningless sex like she’d always had? Was she just paranoid?

She had no idea what Bobby was thinking, but for the sake of his feelings and hers, she had to make an executive decision: guard her heart until she could distance herself to see if he was using her.

She stood up and faced herself in the mirror again. “You’re going to pack up your things, and leave like you’re supposed to. You can’t stay longer, or you’ll both think last night was more than it was,” she whispered just loud enough for herself to hear, and she found herself not believing a word she said.

She thought it’d be a casual affair, and that they’d still be friends, but she didn’t believe that. She could feel herself falling for Bobby more and more every day.

The feeling of romantic love was lost on her, or so she thought. No man had ever ignited the sensation in her chest and between her legs that Bobby had. She couldn’t ignore it. She knew it was too early to love him, but she’d be there soon enough if she wasn’t careful.

She took another deep breath, and splashed some water on her face for good measure. She marched back into the room with more resolve. She couldn’t let this ruin our friendship, so she had to pretend like it didn’t mean as much to her.

Who knew what the hell was going through Bobby’s head. She didn’t want to let herself get hurt more than she already was. She may have not felt love, but she’d definitely felt pain before. She had dealt with years of intense inward and outward hatred. The pain she’d endured being tormented by classmates she didn’t know and her own brain’s stream of consciousness couldn’t hold a candle to the pain of having her heart broken.

Despite the extensive convincing she was trying to do to herself, she was already heartbroken before they’d dealt with the aftermath of their one night-stand.

When she entered the room, Bobby was still sound asleep, his features relaxed. She wanted so desperately to curl up next to him and kiss him awake, but she couldn’t.

Instead, she grabbed some clothes from her suitcase and headed for the shower. She finished washing her hair and body pretty early on, but she couldn’t face Bobby just yet. She sat in the tub and let the water sprinkle on her back. Her mind aimlessly reeled through the pros and cons of being completely honest with Bobby and working through things versus being guarded and leaving as quickly as possible.

She don’t know quite how long she was sitting in there, but it was long enough for Bobby to knock on the door. “You okay, babe?”

“Yeah, I’ll be out in a sec.” She yelled back, frantically trying to draft up things to say to him when she got out.

She wrapped the towel around herself tightly, and trudged down the hallway, her feet padding lightly on the carpeted floor.

The fog in her brain still wouldn’t clear as she stepped into the bedroom to face Bobby for the first time since they’d fucked. She barely met his eyes as she racked her brain trying to come up with a normal greeting that didn’t acknowledge the mind-blowing sex they’d had the night before.

“Hey,” he said, breaking an uncharacteristically awkward silence between us. “Sleep well?”

Alright. Either he was trying to be cheeky or genuine, but she couldn’t tell.

“Yeah, like a log. How about you?” She squatted down, grabbing her clothes from her suitcase.

“Probably the best sleep I’ve had in years,” he said sheepishly, cuddling the pillow she’d used to his chest. He inhaled deeply, squeezing it tighter. “Your shampoo smells incredible.”

She chuckled, dropping her towel so that she could slip on her undergarments. “It was like four pounds from a convenience store, Bobs. I’m sure you could get some for yourself.”

As she slipped on her panties, she felt Bobby standing close behind her, his strong hand placed firmly on her hand to stop her from pulling them all the way up. “Do you have to leave today, lass?”

She only had so much emotional and physical strength in her, yet Bobby was testing both of them at the same time. “Yes,” she whispered, as he stepped closer, prodding her with his hardening dick.

“Are you sure you can’t stay until tomorrow? I thought we could… stay in today,” he murmured against her skin, his lips grazing her skin so lightly she could barely sense it.

“Bobby, I can’t,” she said, rotating so she could face him. She kissed him deeply, cradling his face in my hands. “I’d love to, but I’m already dreading the 7 hour drive. I can’t imagine doing that tomorrow, right before I have to go back to work. I need time to readjust to being home, you know?”

He sighed, and kissed both of her inner wrists. “Yeah, I know what you mean. This week just moved super fast. It sucked that we were both working and couldn’t spend as much time together. Y’know I’m kind of regretting not taking advantage of setting my own hours now,” he smirked, pulling away from her to put on his boxers.

“I had a great time, though. Thanks for showing me around, cooking for me, giving me a place to crash, introducing me to your friends, and doing my taxes,” she joked, throwing her clothes on.

He laughed hardily. “It’s no problem at all, lass. I wanted to make sure your first time in Glasgow was your best time in Glasgow.”

She popped her head through her sweater. “So it only gets worse from here?”

“Definitely. I probably shouldn’t have set the bar so high right? Now I’m destined for failure,” he shrugged, slipping on his boxer briefs.

She smiled outwardly, but inside she was panicking. She knew he was joking, but he voiced a fear of hers. What if that was it between them? What if after leaving, he didn’t pursue her anymore? What if she was just another conquest – another notch in the bedpost?

“I’m going to cook us breakfast while you pack. French toast is your favorite, right?” He grinned from the doorway, his post-sex high radiating from his gestures.

She packed quickly, and threw her things in the car. It’d make it less awkward when she left. When she got back in the door, Bobby was finishing up setting the table.

“You okay with hot chocolate?” He said, pouring the bubbling milk into two Bobby’s Bakery mugs.

“As long as you add extra marshmallows on top.”

“A woman after my own heart!” He exclaimed, plopping a handful of marshmallows on top of both mugs.

She dug into the french toast, and she verbally moaned in pleasure. “Holy cannoli, Bobs, this is incredible. This is the best french toast I’ve ever had, officially.”

“Okay, since you basically gave me a gold medal in making breakfast, I’ll spill my secret recipe.” He joked, trying to deflect from his pink cheeks. “I use fresh brioche bread and almond milk.”

She scarfed down the next few bites, sighing contentedly. “I’m definitely trying this when I get back home. I’ll make sure to buy brioche from your store in London as soon as I can.” Her stomach fluttered. She had offhandedly brought up the subject of their future plans. She knew it wouldn’t end well.

“So I was thinking that maybe I can come visit you before the holidays?–”

“No,” she said, accidentally dropping her fork on the floor, the loud clang of the metal cutting him off. She could tell her response was too blunt and quick for their casual conversation.

His brows furrowed, and hurt flashed through his eyes.

“I meant that I don’t think it’s a good idea.” She thought they could get off scot free, but they were both casualties of their one-night stand, and the fallout of their conversation would determine everything going forward.

“Why not? I thought we were building something good here,” he chuckled nervously, his eyes darting anywhere but hers.

“It was a mistake, but I don’t regret it.” She started, stomach churning. “We’re both adults, and I think we need to distance ourselves a bit. It probably seems really dumb on the outside that I put up those boundaries for us, then in a moment of weakness I threw caution to the wind, and now I’m trying to get us back to square one when we obviously can’t,” She shook her head, watching each word hit Bobby over and over, an unintentional blow. Her willpower was withering – all she wanted to do was break down and tell him she wanted every part of him more than anyone else she’d ever met, but she still didn’t know where he stood, so she pressed on.

“I’m not saying any of this to hurt you, Bobby, I swear. I’m just not ready to go further right now, because I’m so fucking anxious at what’ll happen,” She continued, wringing her sweaty hands to hide their trembling. “I have such bad luck, and I feel like us jumping headfirst into a relationship right now isn’t a good move. I have professional obligations, and you do too. You just opened a store, and I know that’s taking up more time than you want to admit.

“I know I’m babbling, but I swear that none of this is a personal slight. I like you, and more than anyone else I’ve known, I can picture us together. I haven’t been able to see a future with anyone in a long time. I have a lot of anxiety about… this,” she gestured between them, “Because we pursued something professional first, and I don’t want to fuck that up because I’m horny.” She tried joking, but she could tell that Bobby wasn’t in the mood.

She took a deep breath, and waited for him to respond.

The air was heavy between them. She hadn’t noticed before, but the atmosphere had shifted to an unbearably tense sensation.

The unspoken words between them lingered like a thick fog, and even Bobby’s brightness couldn’t penetrate it.

He lifted his eyes, finally meeting her gaze, and a lump formed in her throat, choking the words she would’ve used to ease the tension.

His light was completely gone. His eyes were flat, one dimensional.

She couldn’t breathe. Everything she’d said, which she thought would improve the situation, cut Bobby like a blade.

Why the fuck was she so blunt? She could handle people being blunt with her, but she couldn’t take that approach with every person she met.

She thought that she was a relatively smart person, who thought of the consequences of what she said before the words could form on her tongue. In this instance, her brain worked faster than her heart.

Bobby was a people pleaser. She knew that. But somehow, the looming fear drove her monologue, and word by word, She tore down what they worked so hard to build.

She wasn’t a transparent person. She didn’t let anyone in. She rarely told anyone in her life about my trauma. When she got to college, she rebranded as a confident boss bitch.

Bobby saw through that persona. When he said something that triggered bad feelings, he didn’t chide her. He wanted to learn how she operated so that he could understand how the old her influenced the new her.

And in less than 5 minutes, the fortress that was Bobby’s reassurance, the citadel that was his eyes, the stronghold that was his arms, crumbled – by the soldiers that was her cynicism.

He took a shaky breath, and quirked up the corner of his mouth. “It was wrong for us to think this would work, right?”

His words ripped through her like bullets, and the catalyst was her own finger on the trigger. She had no one to blame but herself.

She had no one to blame but herself.

She had no one to blame but herself.

The sentiment echoed in the back of her mind.

“Between the long distance, and our schedules, and the fact we barely know each other, I think you’re completely right, lass,” he sighed, and ran a hand through his hair. “I don’t know why I kept fantasizing about it working, when I think deep down we both knew it wouldn’t.”

“I… You fantasized about us?” She choked.

It’s like fate was taunting her with her deep-seated anxieties of bad luck and past failures. She could feel the regret festering like an untreated wound in her heart.

She had fucked up so badly, and she could never go back. Regardless of if Bobby ever forgave her, how could he ever forget what she said to him?

“I mean, yeah. You of all people know I’m a romantic,” he smiled sadly.

“Bobby, I didn’t… I don’t…” She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

“Don’t worry. I still want us to be friends, lass. I like you too much to let you go,” he winked, a hint of his mischievousness returning, but there was still an unmistakable sadness in his voice.

Her chin trembled, and she slid out of my seat to grab the fork she’d dropped. She blinked the tears away and wiped her cheeks with the collar of her sweater.

“Babe? You okay?”

She turned to see Bobby squatted next to her on the ground, concern splayed across his features.

She wanted so desperately to explain what she was feeling, why she was reacting the way she was, or even just redo the whole morning. But in that moment, all she could think about was Bobby’s proximity to her. His breath was hitting her face, and she could smell the sweet syrup on his lips.

She leaned forward, but felt nothing. She looked up to see Bobby standing farther away from her, his back turned.

“You can’t do that, Sofia,” he whispered, his fists clenched at his sides. “You can’t just throw all of that on me, expect me to understand, then try to kiss me.”

She’d made things worse by letting her heart take charge right after her brain had fucked everything up.

“I don’t know why I did that,” she croaked, her voice straining against the constriction in her throat. “I’m so sorry. I have to go.”

She couldn’t stay. She was terrified at witnessing the expression on Bobby’s face. She already felt as fragile as tissue paper, and she couldn’t bear to be ripped to shreds.

Before she could second guess herself, her body was moving towards the door.

And before she knew it, she was sticking her key into the ignition, and flooring it out of Glasgow.

\----

The first thing she did after nearly an hour of sobbing was call Poppy. She picked up after the second ring.

“Hey asshole, I deserved details about last night with Bobby earlier than this,” she laughed.

“Um, Poppy, I…” She took a shaky breath and pursed her lips to stop herself from crying, but she couldn’t hold back the sharp release of air from her nostrils.

“Is everything okay? You sound like you’re crying right now, babes,” she said seriously, concern laced through her words.

That was all she needed to vomit up the events of the past 24 hours. Sofia doubted she wanted excruciating detail, but she asked for it repeatedly.

“Oh, babes… I don’t know if you want to hear my opinion right now. It might just make you more upset.”

“I can take it,” she lied.

“I think you were in the wrong, Sofia. I know that might be hard to hear, but as your best friend, I can’t lie to you,” she sighed. “I know you were scared and wanted to guard yourself before you got hurt, but you can’t make decisions like this for other people when you have no idea what’s going through their head. It’s okay to prepare yourself for the worst, but not if it’s going to make the situation worse. You’re psyching yourself over something that hasn’t even happened yet.”

She couldn’t help but feel a twinge of guilt since she knew Poppy was right.

“Bobby obviously means a lot to you, and vice versa. You want him, he wants you, yadda yadda yadda. If you’re not ready for a relationship, you need to tell him that, and let him work it out. Either he wants the same thing as you or not. But you can’t make the decision for him,” she said.

“A lot of what you said was hurtful, unintentional or not. I totally understand why he was so upset when you shot him down and tried kissing him within 5 minutes.”

“I know,” She whispered, gripping the steering wheel until her knuckles turned white. “I have no idea how to fix this.”

“First thing, don’t pursue him. You didn’t leave on good terms. It’s a bad idea to call him right now,” she listed. “Second, we’re going to binge watch ‘Love Island’ together when you get back. Trashy reality TV is the perfect antidote. I’ll bring the crisps.”

“Thanks, Poppy. I can’t thank you enough for this.”

“It’s no problem at all, love. I know you’d do the same for me.”

“I don’t know. I might have sugar coated things just a little bit,” she chuckled.

“You’re a straight forward type, Sofia. I know damn well you wouldn’t appreciate me boosting your ego so you felt like you were in the right.”

After a few minutes of idle chat, they hung up. She was so lucky to have a best friend as a coworker. Especially one that was willing to do anything to help her out of emotionally taxing situations.

\----

After another hour or two passed, she grew bored of her favorite car jams playlist. The next few days would be hell mentally, so she went out on a limb and called Chelsea.

“Thanks for calling Chelsea’s for all of your wacky interior design needs! This is Chelsea speaking, obviously,” she chirped happily.

“Hey Chels, it’s Sofia.”

“Oh my god I’m so happy you called! You’re exactly the person I needed to speak to. You know how crazy fate is sometimes, right babes? Anyways, I’m going to be in London this week on a last minute trip and we just have to get coffee and go to brunch and go shopping and go out for drinks because I just can’t stand the thought of not seeing you the moment I get there,” she babbled, her infectious bubbliness spreading to Sofia through the phone.

“Of course. I wouldn’t want anything else. What day are you getting here?”

“Details, schmetails. Text me your address. I want to surprise you,” she said, and she could feel her practically vibrating with happiness.

“Only if you promise to let me know what outfit I need to wear beforehand,” she smiled, agreeing only because Chelsea was so hard to say no to. Every sentence out of her mouth was laced with good intentions, despite how pushy she was. On anyone else, pushy was an insult, but on her, it was a compliment.

“You think I’d let you leave the flat in nothing but the absolute best? I’m not some kind of animal, babes,” she trilled, incredulous.

“My best might be your worst.”

“Well, when I surprise you, I’ll pick out some outfits for you. And I’ll bring over some jewelry. Maybe some scarves. I have a few spare boots – what size do you wear? Booties are definitely in this year, so you just have to have a pair. Do you like leapord print? I might just have a dress you can –”

“I think I’ll be content with your fashion tips, Chels. You’re a lot more fashionable than me,” she said.

“Alright, but no promises! I always have a trick up my sleeve like a fashion magician. Oh shoot, I have a client on the other line – I’ll see you next week,” she said quickly, followed by a dial tone.

A friendship was forming between them, and she couldn’t have been more relieved that she had two incredible women in her corner to support her through all of her fuck ups with Bobby.

Her thoughts wandered to Bobby’s touch as she zoned out at the wheel. The deep humming sound of her tires crossing over the outer lines of the road shocked her out of it. She jerked the wheel back, her heartbeat quickening.

She knew Poppy was right, and that she shouldn’t contact him, but she couldn’t help but fantasize about calling him, clearing the air, and everything going back to normal.

This was going to be way harder than she thought.

\----


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sofia tries to forget Bobby, and in doing so, she leans on those closest to her. Fate sweeps in to stop Sofia from doing something she'd regret.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi!!! sorry it's literally been an entire month since i've posted - i've been working on a ton of other fics for other fandoms, so i've been MIA with this story. i promise i'm going to finish it soon, but i can't guarantee my uploads will be weekly. sometimes i get writer's block and it's easier for me to take a short hiatus and come back when i'm feeling fresh so the story flows naturally. thanks to anyone who's still reading now that season 2 is officially over (wedding and all), and i can't wait to write for season 3! hope you enjoy; happy reading! :) 
> 
> (i'm active on tumblr in the choices/litg fandom at the same user on here! i'd love to make more litg friends, so feel free to message me there!)

“SURPRIIIIIISE!” Chelsea shrieked.

She’d opened the door at 6 a.m. – the Monday morning she was going back to work – to find an eager Chelsea with a bag of what she presumed to be pastries… and a suitcase.

“Chels, it’s so early… I have to get ready for work in an hour,” she yawned, hugging her arms around herself.

“I know, I know. I couldn’t help myself, babes! I missed you and I wanted you to be the first person I saw when I touched down. I mean, besides everybody I saw at the airport and the bakery,” she grinned, and handed her the bag, kissing both of her cheeks. “I knew you’d probably get upset with me waking you up, so I got you some pastries from Bobby’s Bakery. It’s pretty close to my office in London, honestly,” she chattered, rolling her suitcase past her into the flat.

“Bob… Bobby’s?” She sputtered, noticing the logo on the bag for the first time.

“Yeah, I remembered you were friends with him, so I thought I’d take my chances with someone you knew,” she called over her shoulder, rolling her suitcase to Sofia’s bedroom. “London’s so big! There are soooo many bakeries here!”

“Oh, thanks, that’s sweet of you,” she said, peering into the bag. She grabbed a pastry and bit into it, jelly exploding in her mouth. He made the best pastries in the United Kingdom, she was convinced.

She walked back to her bedroom, curious, and saw Chelsea laying out nearly 10 full outfits on her bed. “Okay, so I know I told you I’d bring over a few items, but I just thought I’d bring over one of my suitcases so you could browse through it.”

“This is too much, babes. You really didn’t have to do this for me.”

“But I want to. You’re such a gorgeous girl, and if I can get you into an outfit that compliments you, of course I’m gonna do it. You’re my friend,” she smiled, and threw her arms around her. Sofia hugged her back, melting into her snug grip.

She heard her sniffle a few times, so she pulled back. “You okay?”

“Yeah, I’m just so excited to have another gal pal here. I’m usually so all over the place, travelling and working, that it’s hard to make new friends, yeah? It was honestly like luck or something that made you reach out for a meeting in Glasgow. Who would’ve known how long it would be before we met otherwise?”

She nodded, and her heart warmed at her usage of “luck”, making her reminisce on past situations where it came into play. Regardless of how awfully everything was going with Bobby, the universe loosened its grip on her by allowing a friendship to bud between them. “London’s huge, so it could’ve been years. I’m real glad I met you, too, Chels.”

\----

After an hour of trying on outfits, she decided to keep the few things that she liked that fit her. Chelsea was a curvy girl, too, and it was downright euphoric being able to trade clothes with another woman who had a pretty big bum.

She pieced together a few outfits, numbered them, and told Sofia she’d text her when to wear each number.

She was so spontaneous. It was thrilling even being around her when she went off on crazy tangents or added things to their “Best Friend To Do List,” as she called it.

Her worries of Bobby melted away in the hour that she spent with Chelsea, which was no easy feat. She was so attracted to the energy she gave off that she vowed to spend any time she could with her. She was her ticket to impromptu decisions, living in the moment, and forgetting my current predicament.

Anything she asked me to come along to, she was going to say yes to. Same with Poppy. She had to distract herself.

\----

She was exhausted by the time she sat down for lunch. She’d been gone for a week and her superiors didn’t let her forget it. She was busy from the time she booted up her laptop to the second she walked to the break room.

“Hey, babes,” Poppy trilled, plopping next to her. “You look knackered.”

“Knackered is code for shit, huh?” She smiled.

“Well they are giving you all of Genevieve’s work while she’s ‘out scoping venues’,” she said, rolling her eyes.

“Which is bullshit,” Sofia finished.

“Which is bullshit! Not that I wouldn’t have had the same idea. I’m just annoyed I didn’t claim England first so I could just go to my flat and bum around,” she sighed.

“Genevieve is the office favorite anyways,” she dismissed, and dug into her sack lunch.

“At least we’re friends. Gen’s a suck up and Thomas is just biding his time till he gets something better,” she stood up to fill the small electric kettle on the counter with water. “You know, we could band together to take them down, like the bad bitches we are.”

“I’m not feeling up to being a bad bitch right now, Poppy. And I’d rather just mind my own business and keep my job,” she emphasized.

“Alright, alright, Sofia. Sorry I’m being jokey. I just didn’t know how you were feeling. How are you doing really? With the whole Bobby situation?” She leaned back against the counter, crossing her arms. “Don’t lie to me. I can sniff a lie out like a hound.”

“It’s because you’re way too good at lying.”

“I know. You’re dodging the question. How are you?”

“Not too great. I fucked everything up and I just have to go back to work like nothing happened?” She shook her head. “I obviously wasn’t in love with him or anything, but I really liked him, and now I’m just supposed to pretend like we didn’t leave on bad terms?”

Poppy had been supporting her for days. She patiently listened to her sob about the situation in her car for nearly an hour, and gave her harsh but great advice.

And when she said that they were watching trash reality and eating junk food when she got back, she wasn’t lying. She walked into her apartment after hours of driving to Poppy sitting on her couch, which made her nearly piss her pants since she’d avoided stopping the last couple hours to get home.

She’d picked her lock to set out snacks, face masks, socks, and a pair of pajamas on her coffee table for her. They binged Love Island through the night, while she was delirious from driving and barely sleeping. She cried on and off through the night and Poppy was there to comfort her.

She thought she’d leave in the morning, but she stayed with her through the whole day. She cooked, cleaned, and made her laugh. It solidified their best friend status.

“Look, babes, you’re gonna need to distract yourself. I’ll try distracting you at work, and outside of work when I can. Chelsea can take you out when I can’t,” She poured the water from the kettle into two mugs with tea bags. “Here.”

She blew on the tea and then took a small sip. Her body warmed momentarily, and she felt the tension from my shoulders release a bit.

“Thanks, Poppy. I don’t know what I’d do without you and Chelsea,” she smiled. “I guess I’ll just have to get out and be social as much as I can.”

“Maybe you should try hooking up with someone,” she shrugged.

“I’m not sure –”

“You love casual sex. I do, too – and it’s totally okay!” she threw her hands up. “You might feel committed to Bobby, but the both of you never sat down to define anything. As far as I see it, you’re not in a relationship.”

“You love playing devil’s advocate,” she huffed.

Maybe Poppy was right? If she hooked up with guys at clubs like she used to, she could get him out of her head. Or at least feel less attached. But her time with Bobby made her wonder if she had it in her anymore.

“Of course I do. You need to know that those thoughts are completely normal. You’re a woman who likes sex, and that shouldn’t be taken away from you because of a slight chance of a monogamous relationship,” she rolled her eyes.

“If you were giving a TED talk, I’d clap.”

She bowed. “Yeah, yeah. Now let’s plan out our week – I’ve been dying to take you out,” she sat down eagerly, pulling up her phone’s calendar.

\----

The next night, Chelsea texted her the number four, and said she’d be at her flat in an hour.

She slipped on the tight ensemble, frowning at herself in the mirror. The cropped top and skirt combo wasn’t something she’d normally pick. The skin of her stomach pooched out through the gap in the fabric, and the feeling of dread crept out from the darkest crevices of her mind.

She hadn’t let someone pick a new outfit for her in so long, that she hadn’t remembered why. She had buried the anxiety and self-hatred she’d felt underneath the hot lights of the dressing rooms.

She quickly stripped to her bra and underwear. Maybe if she focused on her makeup and hair, she’d feel more comfortable in a daring outfit.

A bold lip and a YouTube tutorial for a soft eyeshadow look later, she didn’t feel any better. Her eyes kept zeroing in on her splotchy skin, her crooked teeth, her bushy eyebrows… she was hyper aware of every flaw and insecurity she’d ever considered.

“Hello? Babes, you here?” Chelsea called from her living room.

What the fuck? She could’ve easily robbed her and she couldn’t have done anything about it.

“I’m back in my room,” she called back, staring at her stomach folding over her underwear, her skin rippling at my ribcage.

“I hope you didn’t mind I let myself in,” she chattered, stopping when she saw her practically naked at her homemade vanity. “You’re not ready yet? C’mon babes, I made the taxi wait for me to come get you.”

“Chels, I can’t wear this,” she said, gesturing to the two piece outfit on the bed.

“Nonsense, it’s on me! Don’t feel bad. I want you to wear my stuff. Plus, if I get more usage from my outfits I won’t feel bad about buying more clothes. If you can benefit from my clothes, I’ll benefit from my reverse psychology. I don’t know if that’s exactly what reverse psychology is, but it might work,” she smiled into the mirror from behind her, fluffing up Sofia’s hair.

“I mean, I don’t know if I can put it on and wear it out.”

“Why not?” her smile wavered.

“I don’t feel pretty in it,” she shook her head. “I have to carefully vet outfits before I wear them out.”

“Well, why doesn’t it meet your standards? I bet it looks lovely on you.”

“I don’t know if I’m comfortable talking about this right now… It’s nothing against you, I swear. I’m just… My brain fights me tooth and nail sometimes, and tonight it’s winning.”

She nodded, and wrapped her arms around her shoulders, leveling her head next to Sofia’s in the mirror. “Whatever your brain’s saying is wrong. You’re so beautiful, Sofia. I know we haven’t known each other for too long, but you can talk to me about anything. I’m kind of like a bra, you know.”

She scrunched her nose, an unexpected laugh bubbling from within her. “A bra?”

She nodded again, and squeezed her tighter. “I support you, you support me. We’re bra sisters. You wear whatever makes you feel sexy.”

She reached back to pat her arms, her throat tightening. “I’m so lucky to have met you when I did, Chels.”

\----

A quick taxi drive later, and Chelsea and Sofia were at a trendy pop-up club in the heart of London. It was a stark difference to the homey time capsule in Glasgow.

“You’ll love this club, babes. A ton of my designer friends know the people who do these pop ups, so we should get in fine. It’s kind of expensive, though,” Chelsea babbled, not noticing that her eyes had widened.

Her breath caught, and she kicked myself in the ass for not asking about the cover charge or the average drink prices. She barely had any cash to spare as it was, and this trendy club would be unrelenting on her wallet.

“Don’t worry though, I’m treating you. Plus, we’re both hot. We’re guaranteed at least a few drinks,” Chelsea flicked her hair back and winked.

She smiled. “I owe you one. I’ll put in the work for our drinks tonight. I’m pretty rusty on my flirting game, though.”

“Oh yeah, you haven’t gotten laid in a while, right?” Chelsea grinned, and then turned to the bouncer to name drop.

“It’s been a while,” she lied, her phone feeling heavy in her purse. It’d only been a couple of days since she’d had the best sex and ruined the best relationship she’d ever had.

They stepped through the large metal doors into the vibrant club filled to the brim with gorgeous people. “I didn’t know this many gorgeous people lived in London,” she gaped, watching a man she recognized from a Calvin Klein ad pass in front of her.

“They hide in the most upscale places. It’s kind of annoying. Sometimes I want to be hit on at a coffee shop or a bookstore or a bakery, like a fairytale, you know?” She yelled over the music. “Let’s go do some shots, babes!”

A couple of shots later, they ran to the dance floor, scoping out the pick of men. “This is the game plan. Our goal is to take separate taxis home. Yes, we both have work tomorrow, but we’re living in the moment, baby!” She shrieked, dancing to the upbeat pop song blaring through the speakers.

“Are you sure it’ll work? I could stick to the original plan and just flirt with people for drinks. I don’t mind.” She was okay with flirting. Dancing, even. Maybe even toeing the line of going home together. But her subconscious was nagging.

She couldn’t stop thinking about Bobby. She was surrounded by the elites of London, and she couldn’t stop thinking about the goofy Scotsman that got closer to her than anyone had in years.

“Why couldn’t I just let it go? Why couldn’t I just sleep with a gorgeous guy and forget about him the next day like I used to?” she kicked herself mentally.

“No, forget about just flirting for drinks, babes. That’s a given, obviously. Look at the bar. Dark hair at 5 o’clock has been eyeing you since we took shots.”

She danced with Chelsea a bit, waiting for a natural time to swivel around and get a look at the man who’d been staring at her. She grabbed her hand and twirled her a couple times, and she spotted him instantly.

He was gorgeous. He was well kept, well dressed, and from what she could tell, well hung. And he was definitely making bedroom eyes across the room at her while he sipped from his glass.

“Holy shit, Chels, he’s hot.”

“Obviously, he’s hot, or he wouldn’t be in this club. You either, so don’t even think about putting yourself down, babes. And you’re going over there to talk to him,” she said matter-of-factly.

“What about you?”

“Don’t worry about me. I have a great selection that I’m definitely going to be browsing and testing them out if I have anything to say about it. Go knock em dead, love!” She shouted, pushing her towards the stranger.

She stalked over to him, softly swaying her hips. It was such an easy move that was pretty much hypnosis for horny men.

His eyes flitted hungrily across her one piece, the one she’d worn on her first date with Bobby. She felt a pang of regret in her chest. It was a disrespectful move; she couldn’t dispute that.

“Hello, there,” he said, smirking. A soft dimple appeared, and she could feel herself swooning a bit. It wasn’t as cute as Bobby’s, though.

“Hey,” she said, leaning against the bar next to him.

“You want something? My treat,” he gestured to the bartender.

“Yeah, I’ll take a pint of anything local,” she smiled, briefly reminiscing the layered flavor of the pints she’d consumed at the club in Glasgow.

When the bartender slid her the mug, she took a deep gulp of the beer and her nose crinkled. It was unpleasantly bitter and slightly stale.

“Something wrong?”

“No, I’ve just had better beer,” she shrugged, tapping her fingernails on the side of the glass.

“I’m Lucas, by the way,” he smiled, his dimple reappearing.

“I’m Sofia. It’s nice to meet you,” she said, shaking his hand lightly. He rubbed his thumb over her knuckles, and brought them to his mouth, pressing his lips on them lightly.

“I couldn’t help but notice you as soon as you walked in,” he said, and took a small sip of the amber liquid in his glass.

“Out of everyone here, you checked me out? There must be something wrong with you,” she laughed, pulling her hand out of his to pick up her pint.

“You’re not fake. Plus, I can tell you’ll talk to anyone regardless of their tax bracket.”

“How do you know I’m not here to scope out a sugar daddy?” she quirked a brow, taking a deep drink.

“You’re not the type,” he stated, matter-of-factly.

“Well, do you want to dance or something?” she said, tossing back the last of her pint.

He looked a little disgruntled at how quickly she drank, but it was just a hint. Barely detectable. “There’s nothing I want more.”

They weaved through the tight crowd to claim a small open space close to the center of the massive dance floor.

She swayed to the beat, and Lucas’s hands quickly met her hips, pulling her flush against his body.

She slightly tensed up, but not enough for him to notice. His hands felt so foreign on her skin. She wanted to feel comfortable with him, but she couldn’t.

Bobby’s face flashed in her mind, and she tried desperately to shove it so far away that it wouldn’t bother her again. She should’ve been able to fuck anyone and get him off her mind. Why couldn’t she bring herself to even consider sleeping with someone that wasn’t Bobby?

She turned around and grinded her bottom against his pelvis, feeling his fingers dig into her thighs.

The sensation of dancing with a beautiful stranger that was into her and more than likely wanted to sleep with her should’ve been so arousing, but everything in her body was screaming at her to stop.

They danced for a while as she grappled with her thoughts. She wasn’t sure if he sensed her lack of enthusiasm. It was probably the alcohol.

She felt his lips press against her neck, which forced her out of her inner turmoil. She was so close to pulling away, but she was even closer to convincing herself to fuck him.

Just as she was about to turn to kiss him, her phone buzzed in her pocket. She checked it immediately, and saw text from an unknown number that said, “This is Brodie. Can we talk?”

Her stomach churned. Her first thought was that something bad happened to Bobby, and it scared the hell out of her.

She turned to Lucas, and smiled politely. “I’m sorry, I need to make a phone call. I’ll be back soon, though.”

She shuffled off the dance floor before he could answer and ran towards the side door. Brodie picked up after the second ring.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Sofia. Thanks for calling me back,” Brodie said, seemingly more chill than when she’d interacted with him at the club.

“Hey, Brodie. How are you?” She said, wrapping her arms around herself to shield from the cold.

“Good, good. I’ve been doing a lot of self-reflecting. That’s why I called you.”

“Oh, sounds… insightful.”

“Yeah, it has been,” he said, followed by a sigh, and a pause. “I need to thank you for calling me on my bullshit at the club. After you snapped on me, the boys had a long chat with me about how I talk to women and how it’s off putting and sexist. I wouldn’t have seen that if you wouldn’t have confronted me. No one’s ever done that before, so… thanks.”

She was speechless. She didn’t expect him to apologize like that. She scrambled to reply.

“Wow, thank you for apologizing. I don’t know what to say, honestly,” she sputtered, leaning against the cold, damp brick wall.

“It’s no problem at all. I know I can be a lot sometimes, but I chalked it up to me being annoying, when in reality I was saying things that were pretty offensive,” he said, rendering her speechless again.

“Don’t take this the wrong way, but where is all this coming from? I appreciate it, but you didn’t owe me anything,” she said, the chill of the brick stinging her through her clothes.

“Well, to be honest, Jonno came down on me hard, and Logan was as angry as I’d seen him, but Bobby really got to me.”

“How so?” she asked, her heart racing.

“He was disappointed in me, but he was angrier at himself for not calling me out before. He said he felt so guilty that he just let me talk to you the way I did.”

She forced her voice to stay even. “I know. He told me.”

“No, this was after you left. He admitted this to me while we were alone.”

“Oh.”

“I know this isn’t my place, but Bobby is so broken up about you not speaking to him,” he said, then sighed. “He’s not in a good place right now.”

“Oh…. he told you…” she trailed off.

“He told me that he messed up,” Brodie finished her sentence for her, confirming her worst fears.

Bobby blamed himself for what happened, when it was completely her fault. She led him on when she said she wasn’t ready to commit. She strung him along and then tossed him away when it got complicated.

“He didn’t, though. It was entirely my fault,” she said, the lump in her throat aching.

“I think it was just miscommunication. I don’t know if you’re gonna talk to him anytime soon, but he said he’s giving you space to figure things out. I don’t know what that means, but I thought I’d let you know.” He paused. “For the record, he never talked about you in an insulting way. He told me you were the most beautiful girl he’d ever met. I twisted his words and made him look bad. You should be upset with me. Not him.”

“Thank you, Brodie, really,” she whispered, her heart heavy in her chest.

\----

“Let me in, bitch, it’s freezing out here!” Poppy called through the door.

“I don’t even know where to start. Tonight was a disaster,” she said, flipping the lock.

She’d gotten home from the club an hour before, and she’d been sobbing in my shower for half of that time. Chelsea understood her leaving completely, and she was already preoccupied with a guy of her own. The phone call with Brodie had thrown her for a loop.

“You better spill all of it –” she said, and cut herself off at the sight of her in her ratty pajamas, red faced, puffy eyed, open snacks scattered across her coffee table. “Oh. If I would’ve known it was this bad I would’ve brought reinforcements.”

“I’ll be okay. My brain is just absolutely fucked right now,” she said, her voice breaking.

“Fill me in babe,” she plopped next to her on the couch and wrapped an arm comfortingly around her shoulder.

She filled her in on the night, particularly how she couldn’t bring myself to sleep with Lucas, and that Brodie called her to apologize. Poppy listened intently, her brows furrowed and her face hard to read.

“You know what I think?” She asked, standing up to pace around her small living room.

“What?”

“I think him calling you was divine intervention. If you were considering sleeping with someone to forget Bobby, then his friend calls you and brings him up?” she shook her head. “That’s not a coincidence. That’s fate, innit?”

She popped a couple crisps in her mouth, thinking it all over. “Do you really think so?”

“Yeah, babes! The timing was way too perfect for it to be a coincidence.”

“What should I do about it?”

“I don’t know. I think ghosting him is a bad idea since you clearly like him, but calling him too soon after that call makes you look desperate…” she trailed off, walking towards the kitchen before swiveling back to the living room.

“So I should…?” Sofia looked at her, waiting for her to finish.

“Wait a week or so, then call him. Yeah he might be broken up about it, but never chase a man, babes. It’s not a good look,” she said, sitting down next to her, snatching her bag of crisps.

She laid her head on her shoulder, and they settled in to pick up where they left off last time with the trashy reality TV marathon.

\----


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's been months, and Sofia feels exactly the same. She craves closure, but will she get it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey everyone! surprise! i’m not dead!
> 
> god i’m so sorry that it’s been so long since i’ve updated. i’ve been so caught up with everything happening in the world and my personal life, so i really thought i was gonna wholly abandon this fic. but i consistently got kind comments asking me to update, as well as people who now know me personally (my litg sideblog on tumblr is bobbytheemckenzie) asking me to finish it, so i am!
> 
> but i wasn’t completely happy with what i had. i’ve grown so much as a writer - for example, i stick to one-shots, not series, and even though i love this series and it has a place in my heart purely because it’s my first, i’m not meant to be a series writer. i also write in third person, and love to flesh out my mc’s. 
> 
> so with that being said, i hope you’re okay with me editing this story some - i’m changing it to third person, and am finally naming my mc: sofia :) I hope you love her as much as i do, despite the unfortunately human decisions she makes.
> 
> with season 3 coming, i’ll definitely keep writing for this fandom, maybe more bobby, who knows! but i knew that it wasn’t right to leave this series hanging, so i’m finishing it.
> 
> i’m going to actually try to finish this series over the next couple weeks, because i finally have a clear path to the ending! and to everyone who’s continued to read this, regardless of how infrequent i update, you’re truly the best. i’m still so so so so sorry i left you on a cliffhanger. i promise i’ll finish this series even if it k*lls me (lmao)!
> 
> happy reading :)
> 
> (if you commented something nice in the past couple months, i'm sorry i haven't responded! i wanted to wait till i had a finished chapter to post before coming back to reply to comments.)

“Sofia? Hello?” Poppy called, then snapped in front of her face.

“Huh?” She blinked, looking around. “What’d I miss?”

“You zoned out again, babes,” she sighed. “You  _ have _ to stop doing that at work. Genevieve is gonna rat on you again.”

“I know, I know. I’m sorry. Be right back.” She stood up, walking towards the side door of the office to the deck, where most of her coworkers took frequent smoke breaks. “I need some air.”

Poppy said something back to her, but she couldn’t hear it, as she was already zoned out, mind wandering again.

It’d been a rough couple of months for Sofia, to say the least. Her life had been monotonous, mundane, every day bleeding into the next. Her usual passions were unfulfilling, and she’d become even more of a recluse than before.

She spent most of her time throwing herself into her work, and hanging out with Poppy after hours or Chelsea when she was in town on weekends. And on the off chance she was alone, she distracted herself with anything and everything she could.

Anything that would exhaust her – anything that’d make her sleep at night.

The holidays came and went, no call. 

Bobby hadn’t spoken to her since she peeled out of Glasgow. And she’d been too afraid to reach out. Her friends had suggested a solid week of distance to wait it out. He should be the one to call first, they said. But he never did.

She knew that she’d blown it, so she backed off. And they hadn’t contacted each other since.

She closed the door to the balcony behind her, speed walking to the edge so no one could see her tears fall. She breathed in deeply, a shuddering breath, trying desperately to shield the sobs she knew would come.

She shouldn’t have been so affected by him in the first place. She’d barely known him. They’d realistically only known each other for a month – most flings lasted that long.

She’d used to favor one-night stands. She used to love the exhilarating feeling of meeting someone in a club, taking them home, then never speaking to them again.

But after meeting Bobby, she couldn’t do it anymore. He’d changed her, and as dramatic as it sounded, she couldn't go back to who she was before meeting him.

She leaned her head back, blinking the tears back furiously, inhaling and exhaling over and over to calm herself. She grabbed the open pack of cigarettes from the rusty patio table, and flicked the lighter Poppy had left, sucking air in until the bitter smoke filled her lungs. She let out a long puff of smoke, the slight buzz calming her.

She’d acquired a taste for nicotine in the months since she’d left Glasgow. She knew that it wasn’t the addictive additive she needed, but the deep breaths it forced her to take.

It was a nasty habit she hadn’t managed to break. And it got worse with each passing day. She hated smoking, but she couldn’t stop.

She took a deep drag, watching as the icicles on the side of their building began to drip as the sun rays hit directly, signifying that the long winter was coming to an end.

Her breathing slowed, her heart rate evening out as the cigarette burned lower and lower. Before long, she ground the butt into the ceramic ashtray, before heading inside.

She slipped back inside, silently opening her laptop and fixating on every task in front of her. She could feel Poppy’s eyes on her, but she ignored it. Every time she saw the concern in her eyes, she was hit with overwhelming guilt.

Anytime someone even remotely tried empathizing with her, her mind went immediately to Bobby, reliving the moment where she tore into him the morning after fucking him, then tried kissing him.

It replayed in her head on loop, the vivid image of Bobby’s back turned to her, fists clenched forever burned into her brain. She didn’t know how long it’d take her to get over him, but she was nowhere near moving on. 

As she settled in for a long day of busy work, she thought back to her last dinner with Chelsea before she’d left to visit one of her many offices in the UK.

She met up with her for dinner before her early morning flight. She spilled everything to her, from start to finish, not sparing a single detail, purely because Chelsea wanted to know everything.

“Oh, babes…” she whispered, as Sofia dabbed at her eyes with a cloth napkin. “When you said boy troubles I did not think it was gonna be this bad.”

“I know, I know. I sugar coated it,” she laughed between sniffles, trying to make the situation a bit lighter.

There was a noticeable silence, just long enough for Sofia to worry, thinking that Chelsea saw her as a horrible person.

“Okay, babes. Here’s the game plan,” she started, propping her elbows on the table, gesturing with her hands. “You gotta call him and apologize. I know you don’t want to hear this Sofe, but it’s best if it comes from your bra than anyone else. You really hurt that boy, but I know you and your beautiful heart and you didn’t do it on purpose.”

She shook her head. “I’d never purposefully hurt him like that. I was just stupid and caught in the moment.”

“Yeah, and I know that, and you know that, but does HE know that?”

“No.”

“Well, if it was really fate for you to meet then this is your sign! I’m your palm reader, babes,” she grinned, grabbing Sofia’s hand, splaying her fingers out. “I saw an article on this snapchat story about how to read palms, so I’m pretty much an expert.”

She ran an acrylic-adorned finger up the middle of her palm. “Okay so this is the destiny line. It’s like one of the only ones I remember, but it’s the most important really,” she shrugged, and tapped a crease. “You don’t have any breaks on this line, so I think that means that you’ve got a successful life ahead.” 

“Do you believe in that stuff, Chels?”

“Yeah, babes, definitely. The world’s pretty awful, but if you put the right energy out into the universe, you’re more likely to get that back,” she said, patting her palm, and released her hand.

“I thought I was trying to be a good person… or that I already was. I work at a charity for god’s sake,” she laughed humorlessly.

“It’s not about trying to be a good person, babes. If that was it, you’d have already ticked that box because you are one!” Chelsea laid her hand on Sofia’s, squeezing lightly. “You don’t think you deserve someone good – and that’s why you screwed up. The universe was doing all of the right things – all it could, really. You just kind of fumbled it there at the end, Sofe.”

She thought about that accidental philosophic wisdom from Chelsea for the next couple of weeks. It was truly a revelation. She’d never considered that she was the sole reason. 

She kept rationalizing why she was putting distance between herself and Bobby. Her job, professionalism, long distance, it was moving too fast, he lied to her… everything under the sun that she could place blame on, she’d added that to her long list of why they wouldn’t work.

She was the one standing in between herself and her own happiness. She kept throwing out reasons why they couldn’t be together, like they were meter long hurdles, when in reality, they were just speed bumps. They could work it out – she just couldn’t see past her own anxieties to just… be happy.

Although she had that revelation, it hadn’t changed how anxious she was about the whole situation. She knew she should’ve reached out to him first, but she didn’t. Partly because she was scared of hearing how badly she’d hurt him from his own lips, but also because she didn’t think she deserved a second chance.

Her mind kept wandering, overthinking, throughout the rest of her work day. She worked through lunch, past the closing of the office, only leaving when her boss jingled her keys in annoyance, signaling that she wanted to leave, too.

She trudged through the slushy ice towards the tube, zipping her coat up to her nose in hopes of fighting off the biting wind. Her old car had kicked the bucket months before, a well-deserved Christmas present for a fuckup like herself.

The holidays were rough for her. When she’d turned Bobby down to distance herself, the universe laughed in her face when her parents (the only family she ever celebrated with) broke the news that they’d saved up for a month-long couples’ cruise. It was timed just right so that the seasonal depression hit at the same time as her overwhelming loneliness. Which just so happened to time up nicely with the newly-discovered Valentine’s Day depression that hit Sofia like a brick wall.

She blew into her hands, desperately trying to warm them up as the tube slowed to a crawl in front of her. Just as she was about to step on, she heard her name being called.

“Sofia! Hey, is that you?”

She turned towards the voice, only to get a face full of chest, arms wrapping around her back, squeezing tightly. “It’s been ages, babe.”

She pulled back to a smiling Jonno, panting like he’d sprinted after her. “Oh my god, hi, Jonno.”

“What’s goin’ on?” He patted her back, letting her go.

“Oh, I’m just heading back home, nothing interesting,” she said, feeling the awkwardness creep into her voice involuntarily. It was only a matter of time before they had to address the elephant in the room.

“Yeah, I’m heading to my hotel a couple stops down. You wanna grab dinner?”

“Are you… sure? I mean, I don’t mind it but…” she trailed off.

“You mean, do I think Bobby is gonna freak out?” He chuckled, no ounce of tension in his voice.

“Well, yeah.”

“Ah, we’ll deal with it when we get there,” he shrugged, offering his arm. “C’mon, I’m paying.”

\----

“So what’re you doing in London again? Sorry, my brain’s been a bit on the fritz lately,” she shook her head, sipping on her pint.

“Bobs sent me this way to take care of some remodeling. Y’know he hired your friend Chelsea to redecorate all of our locations,” he said, almost incoherently, his mouth full of food.

There was a lot to unpack in that statement. First, Bobby sent Jonno? Was he too scared to come to London himself? Had she truly tainted the city for him? Second, he hired Chelsea? He knew that Chels was friends with her. More importantly, did Chelsea say anything to him? And lastly, ‘all of our locations’? Did he open more? Did she truly miss out on so much in the past couple months?

Of course, she couldn’t just throw all of those questions on him, so she tried playing up subtlety, which probably wouldn’t work, knowing how starved she was to hear anything about Bobby.

“I love Chelsea. She’s the best at her job, so you couldn’t have picked anyone better,” she smiled diplomatically, taking a bite of her food.

“She definitely is. She’s a firecracker, that one. She downright berated Bobby for not calling you,” he smirked.

“Oh, so she brought that up to him,” she said, the blush creeping up her neck.

“Yeah, she did.”

“You don’t… hate me because of that, right?” She asked, hesitantly. “You didn’t bring me out here to berate me like Chels did to him or tell me how wrong I am and how badly I hurt Bobby?”

His eyes softened. “No, Sofia. I know the other lads were stern and didn’t wanna see his heartbroken, and I was that way, too,” he started, leaning across the table to pat her arm supportively. “But I know you didn’t do it intentionally. The timing was just wrong, you know? I know you’ll find your way back to each other. He’s still wild about you, babe.”

She choked on her food, hacking into a napkin for a solid minute. “You’re lying to me. There’s no way he’s even interested in me anymore. I ghosted the poor lad.”

“I mean, he kind of ghosted you, too. It was a mutual ghosting, if you will.”

“You know all the gory details, right?” She asked, brows furrowed.

“Yeah.”

“How in the hell does it seem like a mutual ghosting to you? I literally fucked him, tried to put distance between us, then tried kissing him, then I bolted,” she said incredulously.

“Damn, do you not want anyone on your side?” he chuckled into the rim of his pint, before drinking half, and burping under his breath. “I’m trying to help you here.”

“Yeah I know, and I appreciate it I just… I want him back. But I don’t know where to start,” she whispered, tearing off pieces of her napkin nervously.

“I’ll just tell you now, he’s not planning on going to your event. He’s trying to send me.”

Her stomach dropped. “And you’re just gonna go?”

“No, definitely not. I’m trying to figure out a good enough excuse for him to go. But I also gotta get Brodie and Logan on my side,” he raised his brows at her.

She grimaced. “And they don’t particularly like me.”

“Brodie is pretty neutral about it, surprisingly. But Logan… he’s gonna be a lot harder to convince.”

“I don’t blame him for not wanting me in Bobby’s life,” she sighed.

“Well, that’s why we’re going to try our hardest to change that.”

“Huh?” Her brows furrowed. “Change their minds about me?”

“Yup. I’m thinking a group dinner or something when they come to London in a couple weeks,” he said, mostly to himself, but still aloud.

“Jonno… why are you helping me? I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’m so grateful, but why are you going to all this trouble to get me a fair trial?”

“Because I like you, Sofia. And the lads do, too. And regardless of what happened a couple months ago, that short time you were with Bobby was the happiest I’ve ever seen him, and I’ll be damned if I let you slip away from my best mate because of some old bump in the road,” he said, before chugging the rest of his pint.

She laid her hand on his that gripped the handle of the mug. “I’m so glad Bobby’s had you through all of the good and bad. He deserves good people like you in his life.”

“He deserves good people like  _ you _ in his life, babe. That’s why we’ve got to get this show on the road already!”

\----

She smoothed the wrinkles out of her top, delaying her entrance to the restaurant as long as she could.

She hadn’t been in touch with Brodie since that night at the club with Chelsea, and hadn’t spoken to Logan since she’d met him in Glasgow. She was bricking it. If she didn’t get their blessings, there was no way they’d help her plan a way to reunite with Bobby.

She took a deep drag from the cigarette and nervously flicked the ends, watching the chunk of ash hit the slush on the ground, the red embers instantaneously turning black. She ground the bud against the ground and threw it in the trash, before walking to the door.

“You can’t put it off any longer,” she thought to herself.

She walked to the back of the restaurant to a half-circle booth, where they were already seated, sipping on their alcohol. She slid next to Jonno, opposite Brodie and Logan.

“Hey,” she said, an apologetic smile on her face, betraying the neutrality she wanted to maintain. She knew she looked guilty the moment she opened her mouth.

Brodie grinned at her. “Hey, long time no see. Good to see you.” Jonno was right, he seemed easy to win over.

Logan on the other hand, glanced up at her, then back at the menu. “Hi.” Jonno was right again. He’d be a tough nut to crack.

“Ah, you know you missed Sofia a little bit, right Logan?” Jonno laughed, reaching his long arm across the table, clapping him on the shoulder.

“Maybe.” He said under his breath, eyes never leaving the menu.

“So, how’s the bakery been treating you?” She asked, trying desperately to keep the conversation going. 

“It’s going great. We’re in the middle of expanding right now, actually,” Brodie piped up, looking excited to talk about the business.

“That’s incredible! I’m so happy for you–”

“She probably already knows,” Logan cut her off, eyeing Brodie.

An uncomfortable silence blanketed the table, and she racked her brain to find a conversation starter. She’d been debating so long – almost resorting to talking about the weather – that she didn’t notice Logan eyeing her cautiously.

“So why did you get us all together, Jonno?” He said, curtly, slapping his menu down just hard enough to show how frustrated he was. “I know you’re scheming. Out with it already.”

Jonno looked taken aback. “Uh, well, I thought I’d invite Sofia out with us to catch up –”

“Be honest with me. Is this a ploy to get her back with Bobby?”

He glanced nervously between Sofia and Logan, before sighing and nodding. “Yeah, mate. It was gonna be a whole thing and you kind of ruined it.”

Logan rolled his eyes, and scooted towards Brodie, trying to usher him out. “It’s great to see you, Sofia. Don’t worry, I won’t tell Bobby about this.”

“Wait,” she started, reaching towards him. “I… I can explain.”

“There’s not much to explain, is there? You did exactly what we asked you not to do. And now you’re planning on grovelling for approval when you went against our only wishes,” Logan practically spat. She’d never seen him that angry, and from the looks of Jonno’s and Brodie’s faces, they hadn’t either.

“Lo… please let her speak.”

She broke eye contact with Logan just long enough to see Brodie’s firm expression, his hand on his shoulder.

“Why should I? You were there. We warned her, and she still went and broke his heart!”

“How many times have we hurt Bobby’s feelings and had to apologize? Big and small. C’mon, guess.”

Logan’s brows furrowed, confusion wrinkling his features. He blew out a breath of air, running a hand through his blonde waves, much longer than the first time she’d met him. “I don’t know. I couldn’t tell you.”

“Way too many times, mate. But we’ve known him for years and years. And we had to go through trial and error to  _ get _ him. To understand him.” He emphasized, gesturing towards Jonno. “He forgave us for a lot of the sleazy bullshit we pulled on him with birds –” He shook his head, blinking, “– sorry, I mean, girls. We forgave him for stuff too.”

Jonno nodded. “You all forgave me when I moved cross country for…” he trailed off as he noticed Sofia watching intently. “You know what? Now’s not the time to go into that.”

Sofia added hounding Jonno for stories about his exes to her mental to-do list.

“Moral of the story is that we’ve worked hard to make our friendships easy, if that makes any sense. You lads mean the world to me, and so does Bobby. I love you like brothers, and Bobby too, so it might sound crazy, but Sofe’s clearly what he needs, and I stand by that. Whether you agree with me or not.”

Her breath caught in her throat, the abruptness of Jonno’s sentimentality hitting her like a freight train. She glanced at him, and was even more taken aback by the softness written across his features. He truly loved Bobby, and he’d do anything for him.

“And if Sofia was what made him happy, I’m alright with the possibility of suffering through him being sad again if it doesn’t work out. He’s our best mate and he deserves to have a chance to be happy.”

Logan looked around the table, holding each person’s gaze long enough to search for something – ulterior motives, maybe. He huffed out air, his body visibly relaxing as he slunk into the black pleather of the booth.

  
“You’re not gonna ghost him again, right?”

She shook her head, then squared her shoulders, her resolve strengthening. She took her own time holding everyone’s gaze, just like Logan, but instead of searching, she was proving herself – she wanted them to know that she was regretful and ashamed, but at the same time unabashed and honest.

Sofia wasn’t the same person she was a couple months before, and she knew they weren’t either. Jonno was more open, more caring, more emotional. Brodie had matured, the ghost of his sexist humor still lingering, but he was cautious, sympathetic, apologetic, and accepting of responsibility. Logan was different, too – he was hurt for his friend, so he’d become more easily aggravated, protective, and blunt.

She was overcome with a mixture of pride and disgust with herself in the moment, knowing that she could’ve been a catalyst for their seemingly abrupt changes.

She took a deep breath, internally crossing her fingers and begging the universe to throw her a bone.

“No, I won’t. I know what I did was wrong, and I can’t give a single excuse as to why I did what I did. You deserve better than excuses, so I’ll try my best to explain my truth. And if you feel the same way when I’m done, I’ll leave and never try to contact Bobby again. I won’t go after him without your blessing, Logan. It’s unanimous or nothing. Deal?” She extended a hand across the table.

Logan’s eyes widened slightly, but other than that he gave nothing away. “Deal.” He gripped her palm in his own, shaking slowly.

She took another breath to steady herself. She trained her eyes on her hands, which were clenched tightly, so hard that her knuckles were white. She couldn’t look at them while she spoke.

“I self-sabotaged. It’s simple, and I know it’s stupid, but I just wish you could’ve been in my brain to know what I was thinking in that last day I was with him. I was so caught up in worrying about what could’ve happened and what could’ve gone wrong that I didn’t stop to enjoy what I already had.

“I had Bobby. And I let him slip through my fingertips – no, I… I just threw him out, and he didn’t deserve that. I told myself that I was protecting both of us, but I hurt him, just like the last person he let get close to him. And I hate myself for it.

“I was wrong, plain and simple. I’ve been thinking about the way he looked at me right before I left, and it tears me to shreds to know I was the one who did that.”

She inhaled, a shaky, quivering breath, and blew it out. “I could go on for hours about how horrible I feel, but I think I should save that for Bobby, if you’ll let me.”

Jonno’s muscly arm wrapped around her shoulder, squeezing her close.

“I believe you.”

She glanced up, meeting Brodie’s eyes. “Thank you.”

“You and Bobby deserve each other. I’m in,” he grinned, his toothy smile just as charming as the first night she met him.

“You know I’m in,” Jonno said, hugging her tighter, pressing a quick kiss to the top of her hair.

She responded by turning to reciprocate the hug, channeling her grateful feelings as best she could into the embrace.

“What about you, Lo?” Brodie asked.

She was scared to face him, but she did so anyways, her hands clamming up instantly, her throat tightening.

He furrowed his brow, obviously battling within himself. She couldn’t blame him. She would’ve been at a mental impasse if she had to choose in a situation like this.

He took a hand and dragged it down his face, covering his mouth. He eyed Sofia, before dropping his hand to his drink, taking a deep gulp. After he swallowed, he chewed his lip.

The table remained silent, looking to him for answers.

Sofia could tell she was losing, her chances steadily dropping the longer he weighed the options.

Before she realized what she was doing, she stood, slinging her bag on her shoulder, the hitch in her throat keeping her from speaking.

“Wait, Sofe –”

Jonno’s voice seemed far away. She couldn’t focus on it long enough to respond.

She was losing Bobby – any hope she clung to was shattered the moment Logan hesitated.

She shoved the doors open with her shoulder while digging in her purse for a lighter, the cigarette already pinched between her lips. It was almost second nature to pop a cig in her mouth when she left buildings, so she wasn’t surprised that her muscles were working faster than her brain.

She flicked the lighter, but the flame wouldn’t come. She rubbed the pad of her thumb against the cold metal over and over and over, her frustration growing, the tears clouding her vision.

She couldn’t breathe. 

“Sofia.”

She turned, blinking away the tears, dragging the back of her hand across her eyes in one quick sweep. 

Logan stood in front of her, an apologetic smile on his face. He reached into his coat pocket, pulling out a lighter, offering it to her.

“I’m in.”

\----


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I mean… I’m different. This thing, whatever it was – whatever it is – changed me. What if he’s changed, too?”
> 
> “So what, babes? Nobody’s the same person they were yesterday.”
> 
> “What if he’s… better than me? He deserves better than what I did to him,” she chewed her lip, trying to hold back the trembling.
> 
> “Oh, Sofe,” Poppy murmured, squatting next to her, wrapping an arm around her. “You’re exactly who you were meant to be, and he is too. And if he’s smart, he knows that you’re at your best. Together.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> well, it's been a while. LMAOSDKFSJDFK
> 
> so this might get a little sappy, but today is the one year anniversary of 'is this fate?' and it marks a year of me writing pretty consistently. i've also started writing for other fandoms too (which if you want more into on that i'll add a note on the end), which has challenged me for sure.
> 
> when i posted the first chapter of this fic, it was completely self indulgent, messy, and a personal experiment for me to write something. (i've never been in a fandom space before so this was new to me)
> 
> i just wrote and posted for myself, by myself. and i've grown so much in the past year. and i'll always be sorry for making you wait to see bobby and sofia's journey through, but it's hard to get the motivation for an old work when you're not even sure you're connected to that story anymore. but i'm really trying - i have everything mapped out and my inspiration is back.
> 
> i can't thank you enough for reading, and for encouraging me to write, because i seriously never would've kept this series going if not for people's kindness. so from the bottom of my heart, thank you so much.
> 
> this fic is messy, a little cringey, a little all over the place, but it's mine. and it's something i've spent a year of my life writing on and off, so i can't write it off. i'm so much different as a writer now, but i owe it to myself, and to yall to finish this. (this chapter is messy, but it's more candid and more similar to my current writing style, so i hope you enjoy the change)
> 
> thank you again, and happy reading :) and happy one year to is this fate!

Sofia watched herself in the mirror, swiping a thick coat of gloss across her full lips, eyes determined. The first time she prepared for a date with Bobby, she looked timid, unsure.

Her gaze travelled down her body, stopping at the things she hated about herself. Her gap looked especially wide today, pronounced against the bright red of her lips. Her dark freckles splotched across her face stood out more than usual, the winter being especially unforgiving to her pale skin. Her stomach pudge looked a lot more round than months before, barely hidden behind her pencil skirt.

But despite the rolodex of flaws that once felt overwhelming, she had a new, even louder voice in her head that pushed all of those feelings away.

“Bobby liked your gap. Bobby liked your freckles. Bobby liked your shape and size,” she chanted to herself. 

She buttoned the front of her blazer, smoothing her hands across the tweed fabric.

For months, her entire goal had been to get a promotion. To get a raise. To get recognized for her hard work. But the second Bobby and her collided, her priorities were askew – and she liked it that way.

Months of preparation had led up to this moment, but she had a new objective. This event was supposed to be the highlight of her career, a make or break moment.

But if you asked what Sofia wanted most out of the weekend, she’d tell you in a heartbeat. She wanted him back.

Her phone buzzed on her nightstand, taking her out of her daydreaming.

Jonno had sent her a quick text letting her know that the plan was still in place.

She sucked in a shaky breath, hands trembling as she tried sliding her phone into her pocket. Instead, it clamored loudly against the dresser before hitting the ground.

“Sofia? Babes, you okay?” Poppy emerged from the bathroom, straightener in hand.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Don’t worry, I’m just… a little nervous,” she laughed, and it sounded unnatural.

From the look in her eye, Poppy could tell she was lying.

“Don’t lie to me,” she frowned, clamping the flat iron over her chestnut locks, pulling down, a thin line of steam coming up from her hair.

“Uh, I… I’m petrified,” she stammered, brows furrowing. She bit her lip to keep it from wobbling.

“Hey, come here,” Poppy said gently, dropping the straightener immediately. She wrapped her in a tight hug, rubbing her hand in small circles across her back. “You have a right to be scared, Sofe. You’re putting yourself out there. It’s terrifying, love,” she murmured.

Sofia pulled back, shaking her head. “What if this was all for nothing?” She whispered it like a wish, one that she was hoping wouldn’t come true.

“There’s a reason everything aligned like this. We’re willing fate to work in our favor,” Poppy grinned, squeezing Sofia’s hands in her own, “as cheesy as it sounds. If this turns out to be an embarrassing mess, we’re going to get drunk and shit talk every person who’s ever wronged you and order dinner from every place you’re craving – and I’m paying.”   
  
“I don’t know what I did to deserve you, Poppy,” she gathered her in her arms again. “Thank you,” she mumbled against the fabric of her blazer.

“Babes, you deserve me. I’m an absolute demon, and you got chosen to deal with me,” she joked, earning a laugh from Sofia. “But seriously, we’re gonna make sure you get your man today.”

\----

“You need me to what, babes?” Poppy asked, pausing mid-bite.

“I, uh, need help with Bobby.”

Her eyes widened, nose scrunched. “I thought we’d moved on from that.”

“I… ran into Jonno, his childhood friend. Then I got dinner with his other childhood friends. And they agreed to help me win him back,” she chattered, tripping over her words.

“And Bobby doesn’t know about this plan?”

“No.”

“Babes… I’m obviously in, but are you really ready to go through that again?” Poppy set her chip down, brows furrowed.

She shifted in the shitty folding chair, mindlessly drawing circles in the condensation of her cup. The atmosphere of the cafe was trash, but the food was cheap, and they were able to maintain a certain level of privacy in the back.

“I have to know if he wants to give this another shot,” she nodded, resolute.

Poppy sighed, taking a swig of her water, grimacing at the taste. “If that’s what you wanna do, I’m gonna back you, always. You know that.”

Sofia had been afraid she was never gonna get close enough to anyone after graduating and moving out on her own. She could’ve never predicted she’d make a fiercely loyal friend like Poppy at her first job.

She smiled warmly, whipping out her wallet. “Well, I’m paying.”

“I’m not gonna argue with that! Pamper me, babes,” Poppy cackled, snatching the bills from her hand and pretending to fan herself.

“Thank you, seriously. I owe you one, big time,” Sofia said, sincere.

“Nah, you don’t owe me anything. Unless I get into deep shit like this, then you better do the same for me.”

\----

She patted her pockets, making sure her hotel key and phone were in the inner pockets near her lapels.

“We ready?” Poppy asked, concentrating on fastening her earring backs.

“Ready as I’ll ever be,” Sofia blew out a stream of air, heading out the door towards the elevators.

“Here’s your badge. You almost forgot,” she tossed the lanyard to her, slipping her own around her neck.

“Thanks,” she answered, fluffing her short curls as they stepped into the elevator. Her phone buzzed again. Chelsea’s name flashed across the screen, and she quickly answered.

“Good morning, Sofe!” She trilled, sounding way too chipper for 6 a.m. “I literally cannot believe that today is the day. Like  _ the day _ . Anyways, I just parked so I’ll be inside soon. I got some last minute decorations, so I have a reason to be near the food, so I’m not, like, suspicious or anything.”

“You sure you’ll be able to handle being sneaky, Chels?” She laughed, already feeling more at ease talking to her bubbly friend.

“Psh, yeah of course, babes. I’m gonna be the most stealthy I’ve ever been,” she reassured Sofia, and a crash sounded through the speakers. “Shit!”

“You okay?”

“Yeah, just dropped my latte on the ground. Ugh. So much for my favorite pick me up this morning. I’ll be okay! Good thing Bobby’s gonna have a coffee station,” she chattered, the soft sound of her heels clicking in the background as she talked.

“Yeah…” 

“Hey, now, don’t get nervous babes. You’ve got all of your friends and Bobby’s friends to back you up. Plus if things go sour, we’re definitely going out for drinks. I’ll be there in a few minutes, okay? Don’t get upset yet, babes! The fight isn’t over yet.”

“I couldn’t have asked for a better partner in crime, Chels. You’re the best,” Sofia smiled, overwhelmed with love for her two ride-or-dies.

“Awe, don’t make me cry! My eyeliner came out perfectly so you’re not getting a tear out of me! Oh – I’ve got another call. I’ll meet you inside in, like, five minutes.”

The line disconnected, and the elevator door opened to the first floor of the hotel.

The lobby was alive and buzzing, wealthy elites and crunchy activists alike all mingling over mimosas in the lounge area. At least, as well as they could.

There was a clear divide in the room based on style – suits to the left, boho chic to the right. Despite that, the day was promising.

The open bar was enough to save the event – and her day – if it tanked.

Chelsea went above and beyond, decorating the lounge as well. Sofia wasn’t even sure if she was allowed to do that, but she came through as usual.

She stopped in her tracks when she saw the loose locs, adorned with purple tips, from across the room.

“Oh, fuck –” Poppy grabbed her arm and pulled her into the nearest hallway, slamming them both against the wall. “That was a close call.”

“Poppy, I –” Panic hitched Sofia’s voice in her throat, the anxiety beginning to overtake her, like a roller coaster slowly crawling to its apex, and she wanted to get the hell off and back to safety.

“Sofia. No. You’re not doing this today, babes. I love you, but you can’t give up now.”

She shook her head, squatting against the wall, wrapping her arms around her knees. “What if he… what if he’s different?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean… I’m different. This thing, whatever it was – whatever it  _ is _ – changed me. What if he’s changed, too?”

“So what, babes? Nobody’s the same person they were yesterday.”

“What if he’s… better than me? He deserves better than what I did to him,” she chewed her lip, trying to hold back the trembling.

“Oh, Sofe,” Poppy murmured, squatting next to her, wrapping an arm around her. “You’re exactly who you were meant to be, and he is too. And if he’s smart, he knows that you’re at your best. Together.”

Poppy’s phone buzzed, the upbeat ringtone sounding quietly in the dim hallway. “Jonno’s calling.”

Their meeting with Bobby’s friends the night before would’ve been hilarious despite the pressure they were all feeling.

Poppy had burst into the hotel room before Sofia, immediately taking charge and spitting out details of her plan. The boys shut up pretty quickly, adding in their observations of Bobby to help the plan flow as well as it could.

Jonno had taken a particular liking to Poppy. He slid himself close to her, murmuring in her ear, making her roll her eyes in annoyance. The small smile tugging at her lips betrayed her, though.

He was someone who couldn’t be tamed, and she couldn’t either. Either it could be a horrific disaster or the bond of all bonds, and Sofia was scared at the potential clash.

Chelsea had joined later that night, her bubbly, eclectic personality meshing perfectly with Poppy’s, and Sofia was so grateful that her two best girl friends were getting along smoothly.

Both Logan and Brodie seemed interested in Chelsea, but since she was pretty oblivious, she had no clue, happily chattering with the both of them, not noticing their body language around her.

In order to keep a low profile, but stay close in case things went south, Jonno, Logan, and Brodie booked a room at the hotel, a few floors below Sofia, Poppy, and Chelsea. It was their meeting ground and their base of operation.

They were awake until the wee hours of the morning – not because they spent the whole night talking about plans, but because they were a genuinely good friend group.

Sofia felt a pang of guilt at the fact that she was the one to bring them together – and that she’d never have a night like this again.

But as soon as she imagined Bobby snuggled next to her, arm slung around her shoulders, popping a quick kiss on her cheek as they giggled and drank with their best friends, Sofia’s guilt dissolved.

She wanted this. She wanted him. More than anything.

“Jon? You there?” Poppy answered, a loud whirring crackling through the speakers.

“Sorry, Brodie is insisting on blow drying his hair when he’s not leaving the fucking room,” Jonno growled.

“I don’t care about that. Give me the update, babes. I don’t have all day,” Poppy pursed her lips.

“Bobs texted us and said he’s setting up right now. He’s running back and forth with platters and laying the table out on his own right now. He sounded nervous,” Jonno chuckled.

“So we need to send in Chelsea?” Sofia piped up, having to raise her voice over Brodie’s blow dryer.

“Hold on a second,” Jonno grumbled, and a few stomps, a heated exchange of words, and a slamming of a door, the whirring was gone. “Sorry ‘bout that. Yeah, it’s time to send her in.”

The plan was simple. Chelsea would befriend Bobby, since it was her natural talent. She’d keep him distracted as Sofia kept working, checking in momentarily with her boss, coddling the rich and maintaining the nonprofit’s relationships with the other activists in attendance.

Poppy would watch the doors, keeping an eye on Bobby’s every move. Lurking was her specialty, since she was a nosy bitch – she admitted it herself and jumped on the chance of surveillance.

Jonno, Logan, and Brodie were going to create distractions and offer updates. Calling in to say they have a complex order and get confirmation from Bobby on whether or not to accept it, asking for permission to go on an early lunch, checking in on him to the point of pestering him… the possibilities were endless.

And when the brunch was nearly over, after an hour or so, Poppy was going to take over for Sofia when she left because she was “sick”.

Chelsea was going to spill a drink on him at the latter end of the brunch and offer to watch the table while he cleaned himself up.

And hopefully the stars would align so that they ran into each other on their way out.

It was a basic plan. But it was so easy to fail.

Nothing scared her more than all of her hard work going to shit.

“Babes,” Poppy whispered, gently rubbing her hand in small circles on Sofia’s back. “No matter what happens, we’re here for you. The both of you.”

Sofia took a deep breath, her resolve strengthening. “Thank you.”

She stood up, pushing off the wall and towards the meeting room reserved for the staff.

_ It’s now or never _ , she thought, nerves sending tingles throughout her body.  _ One chance, and that’s it. No do-overs. _

\----

She raced out the side door, her feet aching in her heels.

It’d gone smoothly. Up until her boss asked her to stay in the ballroom area to help clean up.

Thankfully, the small makeshift stage had large enough curtains framing it that Sofia didn’t have to directly look at Bobby.

She was able to safely observe him from across the room. Her heart hitched in her throat the moment she snuck through the double doors right behind the stage, catching her first glimpse of his face in months.

He manned the tables alone, the platters of pastries and fresh fruit piled high, the buttery aroma filling the entire room like a soft embrace.

He looked the same, but vastly different. Maybe because she hadn’t seen him in so long, and the things she memorized about him – his freckles, his lips, his golden eyes, his hands – had faded slightly from her mind.

He had a new addition – a pair of glasses, the square frames framing his round face so nicely. Like they always should’ve been there.

From the way his sleeves were pushed up, she could see a hint of a tattoo peeking out.

He looked incredible. His grin was wide, despite him being awake since the crack of dawn, his eyes crinkling with each hearty laugh that ripped from him at whatever Chelsea was saying.

God, he looked like he was happy. Without her.

Their groupchat had been blowing up with updates, each step of the plan going smoother than the last. She’d text the group when she needed Bobby to leave the room, and as soon as one of the boys called him, she was able to finish whatever task her boss needed finishing.

But things had gone too smoothly. Donations rolled in. People ranted and raved about the gorgeous decorations, incredible food, and timeliness of the brunch, nearly ahead of the itinerary by a couple minutes.

Of course the thing to fuck it up would be her boss asking her to clean up.

She watched as Chelsea spilled a vat of orange juice on him, the pulp clinging to his chef’s jacket, Bobby’s accent thickening as he let out a hiss, followed by an expletive.

“You can stay and clean up, right? Apparently you didn’t secure the hotel cleaning staff, so you’ll have to figure out how to handle this,” her boss said, nonchalance dripping from every word.

Sofia took a deep breath, steadying herself.

“Florence. You can’t do this to me,” she said, voice unwavering as her hands slightly trembled at her sides. She’d never been so blunt with her before  _ – especially _ using her first name like that.

“Excuse me?” She was taken aback.

“I worked my ass off – pardon my language – to get this whole thing to work smoothly, for our benefit. I’ve been punctual. I’ve done everything you asked,” she recounted, holding up fingers with each statement. “And now I want to leave to take a quick power nap before I have a million more tasks to finish that  _ you’ve _ already assigned me. If you don’t give me an hour break, I’m quitting. And I mean that with everything in me.”

She looked stunned. “Yeah. Take your break.”

“I already have cleaning worked out. Thanks for not congratulating me on a flawless event. Heard we got a record amount of donations. You’re welcome.”

Sofia strolled out, past the dropped jaws of her coworkers (including Poppy who was grinning and holding back a laugh), shoving out of the meeting doors and out towards the lounge. The crowd was still lingering in the lobby, making it hard for her to get through to the side door.

As soon as she made it out of the doors, she gulped the air, coming down from the high of chewing out her boss.

She braced her arms on her hips, chest heaving. She really did that.

She quickly checked her screen for the latest update on Bobby’s location.

_ Side door next to meeting room _ , Poppy said.

Her eyes widened, finally looking around her surroundings. The small concrete balcony looked over the parking lot, which led to a thick patch of woods, the sun barely peeking over the tops of the trees.

And to her right, was a confused Bobby, cigarette in hand, ashes fluttering to the ground as his fingers shook.

“Sofia? You’re… here?” He looked incredibly confused.

“Bobby,” she stammered, her brain blanking as she tried to desperately grasp at words, phrases, anything to say to him.

“I heard them say your name in the introductions this morning, but I didn’t know you were really here,” he said, shaking his head.

“Yeah, I… didn’t want seeing you to affect my work… and I didn’t want to affect yours either, I guess,” she said, finally, the silence that ensued thick and suffocating between them.

“Wow,” he laughed once, humorlessly. “All this time, and that’s the first thing you say to me?”

“I’m so sorry, I – I’m – I don’t know where to start,” she tripped over her words even more, wringing her shaking hands in front of her as he took a long drag of the cigarette.

“Maybe a ‘Hi, Bobby, how are you?’”

“Hi, Bobby, how are you?”

A smile tugged at his lips, prompting his tongue to dart out and wet them because of the chilly wind whipping at them.

“I don’t know if I’m ready for this right now, to be honest. Some girl spilled orange juice on me, and I have to clean myself up and the whole display and add load the car up alone –”

“Jonno, Brodie, and Lo are already on it,” she whispered, still planted firmly in place, not daring to take a step towards his form, leaning casually against the railing of the balcony.

His eyebrows shot up. “Really? Damn, you thought of everything, huh? Oh, wow, does that mean Chelsea’s in on it too? Shoulda figured. Did you have to choose orange juice though? It’s gonna stain pretty bad.”

“I’m so sorry,” she said, staring at her clenched hands, knuckles white as her nails dug into her skin.

“S’a bit late for that, isn’t it?” He asked, brows furrowed. He pushed his glasses up higher on his nose with one hand, taking one last drag from his cigarette, tossing it onto the ground and scrubbing it out with his boot.

He turned to the door, but stopped, leaning down to pick up the bud. “Sorry, wouldn’t wanna upset the hosts. Thanks for hiring us, Sofe. I hope we were satisfactory. Next time – if there is one – I’ll send the boys instead.”

He opened the door without another word, walking inside, leaving her in the biting Glasgow weather, even more cold and alone than she began the day.

Before the tears could fall, she took the stone stairs at the side of the balcony two at a time, bolting to her car.

She didn’t care if she was running again. She had to get the fuck away from the hotel. She had to be anywhere but there.

The devastation hadn’t even had time to settle into her psyche. She wanted to outrun the despair, the inevitable bone-crushing weight of her fuck up, the tears she knew were coming.

She just needed to drive. To clear her mind.

Before she could convince herself otherwise, her foot was on the pedal and she was peeling out of the parking lot, towards wherever she needed to go.

\----

One dingy pub, two shots, and three pints later, Sofia was numb. She nestled into the back booth, staring aimlessly at the black screen of her phone, her vision blurring as the alcohol clouded her senses.

Her phone buzzed in her hands, ripping her from her dissociative state. It was Logan. Probably trying to reach her, like everyone else had.

When she pulled into the bar, she let them know she was okay and that she was trying to clear her head. They kept insisting on knowing her location, though, but she didn’t let up.

“Hello?”   
  
“Hey, Sofe. How are you?”   
  
She chewed the inside of her lip. He was clearly trying to butter her up to get her to tell him where she was.

“Not good. I’m at a pub. I’ll be back at the hotel later. Don’t worry about me.”

He sighed heavily. “He’s more calm now, if you want to talk to him again. He admitted he was caught off guard and that he’s open to sorting things out.”

“You’re lying. I know he doesn’t give second chances. I knew that before this whole thing but I tried anyway, and failed miserably,” she slurred, holding the phone in front of her mouth as she garbled into it, on the verge of tears.

“Look, he’s at –”

She clicked her lock button before he could continue talking.

Another hour or so passed, as she sat in the booth, mulling over her first interaction with Bobby, her brain skipping like a broken record player. “S’a bit late for that, isn’t it?”

She ate the cheap shitty chips, trying to sober up before she drove back to the hotel.

The stars aligned, and it still didn’t work. Sofia was living proof you couldn’t will fate to work out in your favor.

Another hour later, the sun began to set, Glasgow spring stingy with its sunlight.

She drove through the busy main roads, trying to get caught in traffic so she could delay the inevitable. She wasn’t ready to go back to a group of friends trying to console her. She wasn’t ready to confront the idea that the friend group could be together for the last time (maybe ever) that weekend.

The sun was low, the last rays slicing through the stone buildings, and Sofia was behind the wheel. She turned off of the highway onto a road she didn’t recognize, the signs listing off check points she was unfamiliar with. Her phone had died a while before, and she was intending on pulling into a hotel to use their phone. Or to a gas station to buy a car charger.

But when the rain started falling as heavy as hail, pelting her windshield and drowning out the radio, she started to panic.

Most businesses were closed, and she was desperate.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” she chanted to herself, hunching over the wheel to try to peer through the heavy rain.

She spotted some lights, so she drove towards it, pulling into a small strip of buildings, no cars in sight. The second she put it into park, her rental car sputtered, each turn of her key less hopeful than the last.

“Shit, are you kidding me? Holy fucking shit,” she slapped the wheel with her palms, raising her voice as she yelled expletives, barely able to hear herself think over the rain splattering against her car.

Before she could chicken out, she stepped out into the pouring rain, running towards the sidewalk, heels sloshing through the stream of water flooding the ground.

She tried huddling underneath the small awnings in front of the businesses, growing more and more frantic as she ran to each door, seeing either a closed sign or the darkness of the inside of the building.

Her heel caught in the crack of the sidewalk and she tripped, her hand scraping against the ground, her uncovered knees taking more damage.

The puddle seeped through her skirt, the rain pounding on her back, drenching her and her hair, her mascara running into her eyes.

“Jesus fucking christ,” she growled through clenched teeth, wincing in pain as she tried to push herself back up, but failing, her heel slipping and scuffing her knee again.

She hissed, flipping over on her bottom so she could scoot to underneath the awning.

As she shoved herself towards the wall, back pressing against the cold brick, she rubbed a wet hand across her face, smearing her mascara and lipstick. It really only got worse the more she tried.

She covered her face with her hands, wet curls clinging to her skin. The sobs wracked her body before the shivers did, and she couldn’t help but wonder why she was hopeful that morning. 

Why did she set herself up for failure like this? Was this how Bobby felt when he tried confronting his ex? 

The tears mixed with the freezing wet droplets on her skin, her teeth chattering as she wailed, the sounds drowned out by the storm.

Glasgow weather was unforgiving – Bobby didn’t lie about that.

A soft glow of light illuminated the sidewalk where she sat, and she turned towards the door, squeaking open, the sound of the bell nearly muffled by the heavy rain on the road.

“Whoa, hey, you okay?” A voice called from the doorway.

She squinted at the doorway, eyes adjusting through the makeup in her eyes. “Bobby?”   
  
“Sofia? What are you doing here? Oh my god,” he said, running to her side. “Christ, you look banged up. Let’s get you inside so I can use the first aid kit.”

He wrapped his arm around her waist, muscles working under his skin, but he wasn’t straining at all. His arms were bigger than she remembered.

She dared a small glance at him, their faces close. The nonchalance that laced his features when she ran into him at the hotel was gone, replaced with ambivalence and worry.

He was just as gorgeous as she remembered, and panic swirled through her mind as the reality set in.

She was trapped there with him at least for a while. And he hated her. And they were going to have to confront what happened, regardless of how painful it was for the both of them.

\----

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> follow me on tumblr @judgebobby (not that active there anymore, but i've posted some writing there, too)
> 
> if you're into choices, follow me @zigtheeortega | if you're into the wayhaven chronicles, follow me @masonscig
> 
> (yes i keep everything separate because i'm organized but not really KSDJFKDJK)


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ~wish i could add a summary but it's honestly all spoilery~ sorry !!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> follow me on tumblr @zigtheeortega (choices), @masonscig (twc), or @judgebobby (litg, but i'm inactive)
> 
> longer sappier note at the end!

The peroxide was cold when it hit her skin, the liquid bubbling on her knee, relentlessly stinging. She sucked in a breath through gritted teeth.

“Sorry… should be over soon,” he murmured, wiping up the stray liquid that streamed down her leg with a small rag.

The heaviness of the atmosphere between them was almost too much to bear – they’d barely spoken since he helped her onto the counter in his small office, leg propped up between his own, where he sat in his desk chair.

She watched as he unwrapped the large bandaid and triple antibiotic, placing it on her knee and gently smoothing it out with his thumbs, palms grazing the sides of her calves.

She winced when he pressed on a tender area, and he glanced up at her for the first time since he’d started the process, hazel eyes soft and apologetic.

“Sorry, lass. We’re almost done,” he said under his breath, not even acknowledging the nickname and the weight it held.

“Don’t apologize. It’s not your fault,” she sighed as he picked up her other leg to prop up next to the bandaged one, still nestled between his spread thighs, the warmth underneath his clothes warming up her bare feet, freezing from the rain.

“Not my fault but still could’ve been prevented,” he shrugged one shoulder, pushing his glasses back up the bridge of his nose.

They clearly weren’t talking about Sofia faceplanting in the rain. The conversation was such a hard one to approach, and she still hadn’t figured out how to ease into it.

_ If we don’t talk about this now, it’ll probably never happen _ , she thought, heart beating erratically in her chest.

“Bobby, I –”

“Don’t.”

“Why can’t we just have a discussion? I think it’ll be best for the both of us in the long run if we talk about it,” she asked timidly, nervous to hear his reaction.

He looked up at the ceiling and sighed, running a hand over his face. “Look, I think there’s a lot we can talk about, but nothing’s gonna change what happened and frankly, I’d rather try to be on good terms with you.”

“I… I never wanted to be on bad terms with you, Bobby. Can I at least apologize? I think I owe you that much,” she let out a strained laugh, tugging the towel around her shoulders.

“Sure, if you really want to,” he shrugged again, getting to work with patching up her other knee.

She took a shaky breath, her fingers trembling as she clutched the towel closer, mind running a mile a minute.

She didn’t know where to start. From the beginning? From the last time she saw him? Should she apologize for her absence? For her horrible behavior?

She didn’t want to bring up how guilty she felt, how broken she was left, and how lost she felt in the months since her week in Glasgow. No amount of guilt would make him like her again.

“I’m so sorry for leaving you like that. I’m so fucking sorry. I’m just gonna come out and ramble, and you don’t have to listen to me, but I have to get it off my chest because I owe you an explanation,” she started, already nervous. “It’s not a good one, and it makes no sense when I say it out loud, but it’s just the way my brain works.

“I self sabotaged. You did nothing wrong. I did everything wrong.”

Bobby stopped mid-pour, glancing up to search her eyes, probably looking for sincerity, which she tried so desperately to convey.

“I just… don’t think I deserve good things,” she continued, wringing her hands in her lap, wincing from the pain of her scraped hands. “There’ve been so many times in my life where I’m the only person holding myself back from what I want. It’s like my brain is trying to keep me from being disappointed if I get my heart broken… I won’t let myself be happy.

“Even if we were destined to break up, I should’ve just let us be together. I should’ve just let you break my heart instead of breaking yours first.”

“You thought you broke my heart?” He whispered, staring at the bandaid in his hand.

Before she could answer, he took a deep breath, blowing the air out of his cheeks. “Understatement of the year.”

“Bobs…”

“You can talk more if you want. Just had to chime in,” he chuckled weakly, focusing on wiping her leg before pressing the bandaid onto her leg gently.

“I didn’t think I’d end up liking you as much as I did, as fast as I did,” she whispered, pulling at a loose string on the towel nervously, tugging it around her.

“Yeah, well I hoped you’d like me if we fucked the way we did,” he laughed again, this time humorlessly, as he pushed his chair back as if he was going to stand.

Before she could stop herself, her hand shot out to his shoulder, and she locked eyes with him, pleading with him to sit.

He relaxed into his chair, her legs still between his thighs. He slightly quirked a brow in a silent question.

“I haven’t slept with anybody since you.”

His face was unchanging. God, he’d worked on his poker face since she’d last seen him.

“I attempted one night stands a couple of times but I couldn’t bring myself to leave the club with them. Couldn’t even kiss them,” she shrugged, chewing her lip.

The silence that ensued was suffocating. She had no clue what he was going to say next – he was hard to read, and it frightened her, considering he normally wore his heart on his sleeve.

“I haven’t either,” he said finally, hands rested on his thighs, nearly grazing her skin. “Been with anyone, I mean.”

“Not even a hookup? Or a Tinder date?”

“Nope. Not one.”

Another silence settled between them, this time less tense. Thoughtful. Bobby finished wiping her leg before pushing his chair back and standing, grabbing the first aid kit again.

He laid a folded towel in her lap, carefully grabbed her hand, before pouring the peroxide on her palm. She winced and let out a soft groan, her tender skin stinging.

“Bobby I… I don’t want to say anything that’d guilt trip you, so I won’t get into detail, but… let’s just say I’ve gotten what I deserved these past few months,” she shook her head, laughing humorlessly.

His face pinched into a look that wasn’t anger, but it wasn’t pleasant either. “I didn’t want you to suffer, Sofe.”

“I know, I know. I just thought you should know that I didn’t move onto bigger and better things,” she sighed. “Honestly, my life’s gone downhill since I last saw you. None of that’s your fault though. It’s completely my own,” she added.

His eyes flicked up and back to her hand. “Mine has, too.”

“I’m so sorry.”

“It’s not your fault.”

He grabbed a gauze, placing it over her palm, before wrapping a bandage around her hand a few times. He motioned for her to give him her other hand, and she gladly did, revelling in the warmth of his hands against her own.

She flexed her hand a few times before pulling the towel around herself. “Thanks,” she said gratefully, meeting his eyes again.

“Don’t mention it.”

She looked down at her lap again, thankful that Bobby had spare clothes in a large enough size to fit her. She was soaked to the bone when he helped her in, so she had to strip down to nothing and throw a Bobby’s Bakery t-shirt on, the hem of it barely grazing the middle of her thigh. 

Her clothes were laid neatly out, and she hoped they’d dry in time for her to leave, but she was doubtful.

Bobby was extending a kindness to her that she didn’t really expect from him, given the circumstances, but it attested to his unwavering generosity. He was an incredible person and she was in awe of how giving he was. Always willing to extend a helping hand no matter how he felt about the person.

She hadn’t noticed her tears cloud her vision until a tear plopped onto the gauze, staining it.

“Sofia?” He asked gently, and she dipped her head further, wiping her eyes with a towel, the last remnants of her eyeliner smearing onto it.

“I’m okay, don’t worry about me. I’m fine,” she sniffled, looking up at him as soon as her eyes were dry.

His expression was pained. Maybe his poker face wasn’t as great as she thought. Or maybe he wanted her to see how he felt. 

“I don’t want to hurt you with a petname. I can stop if you want me to,” he said, voice low, a near murmur as he finished patching up her other hand, which wasn’t nearly as banged up.

“No, no. I still like it. It reminds me of the good times we had,” she smiled sadly, squeezing the hand he cradled.

He dropped her hand suddenly and turned away, staring at the ceiling, hands planted on his waist. She heard him blow air out of his cheeks sharply, and watched him run his hand through his locs.

“Can… I say something that might hurt you?” Bobby asked, breaking the silence.

She hoped he didn’t hear her gulp, her fingers already shaking in her lap. “Yes.”

“You… really hurt me, lass. I just… the way you treated me that last day… I couldn’t deal with it,” he took a deep breath, trying to relax his shoulders. “Legitimately. The day you left I laid in bed and stared at my ceiling for hours.”

She felt the self loathing bubbling up as he began speaking about how deeply she’d cut him. Fuck, this was going to be painful.

“I’m sorry I never reached out to you, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it.”

She nodded, waiting for him to continue.

“Thank you for giving me my space, though. I wasn’t sure if it was intentional or not, but…” he turned to her, trailing off, waiting for her to answer.

“I was too scared to call you.”

He nodded, adjusting his glasses. “I had to do a lot of self reflection to see if it was something I wanted. But by the time I came to terms with everything, it felt like it was too late.”

She wanted to ask him what conclusion he came to so badly, but she held her tongue. She couldn’t demand anything from him. She’d already taken too much.

“Uh…” he closed his eyes, shaking his head. “This is the hard part.”

Sofia braced herself for the worst.

“Things you said and did reminded me of my ex.”

The wind was knocked out of her, her head dropping to stare at her lap, her body naturally leaning forward. She was curling into herself, the lump in her throat tight, restricting.

“She was so fucking wishy washy with me… She was distant, then clingy. When she was arguing with the guy she was cheating on me with, she’d be clinging to my side and calling me her ‘soulmate’. When she felt closer to the other guy, I got the cold shoulder.”

She couldn’t argue with him. Sofia was the fucking worst, solidified by the fact that she subjected him to the same shitty behavior that she said she’d never exhibit.

“It was like whiplash, you know? I couldn’t get a read on her feelings for me, let alone my own feelings about the situation,” he laughed humorlessly, shoving his hands in his pockets. “I put myself second a lot, and it got me into a lot of shit… and I couldn’t subject myself to that again.”

The sound of the hard rain, getting worse and worse by the minute, pounded against the roof, filling up the tense atmosphere in the office – almost making it soothing. Almost.

“I’m so sorry, Bobby,” she said, trying to keep her voice even. “I’m so fucking sorry, oh my god, I’m – I’m so fucking sorry –” she started saying over and over, her breath quickening, her chest tightening.

“Hey, hey, Sofe, please,” he said, and she heard his shoes squeak against the floor as he approached her. “I forgive you.”

“You do?” She said through a soft sob. “You shouldn’t. You shouldn’t even be comforting me right now.”

“I didn’t plan on it at first, you know,” he said, chuckling. “I thought I hated you, but the second I saw you on the balcony… that anger went away.”

“Thank you,” Sofia said. “But I don’t deserve it.”

“Well, even if you don’t feel like you deserve it, it doesn’t change how I feel.”

There was another lag in conversation, the lights flickering above them. “Fuck, I swear if we lose power,” he mumbled, turning to the drawers underneath his computer, rummaging through the mess until he found two flashlights.

He flicked them on, testing the battery, and just in the knick of time. The power went out, darkness engulfing them for a second before he turned both flashlights on.

“Your phone’s dead right?”

She nodded.

“Shit. Mine is, too,” he sighed, standing the flashlights upright so that the light bounced off the ceiling and dimly lit the room.

He set one lit flashlight on the counter next to her, while taking the other to survey the damage. When he entered the room again, car keys in hand, she panicked. That could’ve been the end of things – he drove her home and they said a cordial goodbye and they never saw each other again.

“Where do we go from here, Bobby?” She blurted out.

“Uh… I really need to call the power company –”

“I mean with us.”

He dipped his head, eyes trained on the ground. “I don’t know, to be honest.”

She sighed. “I don’t blame you.”

“Look, I know I was rude to you earlier, but I really would like to be on good terms with you,” he said, stepping even closer, pushing the chair farther back to stand right in front of her.

She nodded. “Yeah, I want that too, but… Bobs, truthfully, I just don’t know how to be on good terms with you if I still have feelings for you.”

He took one step back, slightly stumbling. “What?”

“I – I’m sorry –” she apologized, stammering. Fuck, she’d made it weird.

“You still have feelings for me?”

Her brows furrowed, and she was unable to hold back her frown. “I never stopped.”

His jaw opened and shut a few times, no sound coming out.

“You thought I moved on?”

“Well, I mean, yeah, you said you’d tried hooking up with people and you never called me and – and I just assumed that it was completely out of the question,” he said, looking dumbfounded and hopeful at the same time.

“Wait, what? You didn’t reach out to me either so I just thought you didn’t feel the same anymore,” she said, mouth agape.

Had they both really not considered that they might’ve still felt the same way after all that time?

“Bobby, I…” she watched him as he took another step closer, the heat between their bodies growing, and she took the moment to drink him in. His muscles were definitely more defined, apparent through the t-shirt which hugged his biceps beautifully.

“I thought about you every day, Sofe,” he murmured, his hips grazing her knees. 

“I thought about you every day, too,” she said, tears welling up in her eyes again. He stepped forward again until he was pressed against the counter between her parted legs.

Bobby’s hazel eyes shone even in the dark, glistening as he cupped her face with his hands, swiping a thumb under her eye.

“Can I say something that might hurt you?” she whispered, mimicking his own words, eyes flitting between his parted lips and his half-lidded gaze. 

“Yes,” he said, without hesitation.

“This is the closest I’ve ever gotten to love, I think. Whatever this is between us,” she said, reaching a bandaged hand up to rub a stray tear from his cheek as soon as it fell.

And like a bursting dam, a snapping branch, a shattering window – the weight of whatever they had (whatever they wanted to have) breaking whatever facade they were both putting on for each other.

The first touch of their lips was unlike any other before, the sloppy kisses both deliberate and fervent.

Before they could think twice about what they were doing, Sofia was tearing at the hem of his shirt, pulling it from his jeans, trembling hands fumbling with his belt buckle.

God he was everywhere. His lips, suckling against her neck. Teeth, nipping at her earlobe. Hands, grasping and kneading at her flesh like he couldn’t get enough of her.

One hand was ripping the towel from around her body, the other one pushing her legs open so he could settle his hips between them, his mouth finding her ear again as she struggled to unzip his pants.

“Lass… do you really want this?” he murmured against her ear, while splaying his palm across her thigh, fingertips digging into her skin, the delicious sting making her eyelids flutter.

“I do, Bobby, I do. I want you,” she sighed as she shoved his pants down his waist, his cock finally free – and all hers.

“I want to taste you,” he groaned in her ear as she wrapped her hand around him for the first time in what felt like an eternity.

She leaned back onto one hand, bringing her other to her mouth. Keeping direct eye contact with him, she licked her palm, sucking on her fingers just long enough for Bobby’s pupils to dilate, before pumping him slowly. “Not a chance,” she teased.

And before she knew it, she had to stifle a groan of her own as he shoved her t-shirt higher, spreading her legs further with both of his palms. However, the second Bobby’s thumb found her clit, circling torturously slow, even sinking her teeth into her bottom lip couldn’t keep her whines from slipping past her lips.

“Fuck, Sofe, let me taste you, please,” he begged, stroking his thumb down her lips, nearly dipping into her.

She could only manage a nod, leaning back against the counter on both elbows, legs still dangling off the sides as he dipped between them.

“Shit… babe –” he said, sucking in a breath.

“What is it?” she asked, hoping she didn’t sound too insecure.

“Nothing… you’re just as pretty as I remember,” he glanced up, throwing her a smile – a genuine one. Maybe the first genuine one he’d used with her since they’d reunited.

Her heart hadn’t even finished fluttering, a response barely formed, before his tongue was flattening against her, lapping her in long, tight strokes just like she needed.

Like muscle memory, her fingers tangled in his locs, resting on his head as he went to work, eating her like his life depended on it. “Bobby – please –” she whined.

He knew that tone – he hiked one of her legs over his shoulder as he quickened the strokes of his tongue, focusing on her clit.

Normally she wanted the person she was fucking to give her head and focus on her. Elongated foreplay was her favorite. But with Bobby? After all this time? No fucking way.

“I need you in me. Now,” Sofia ordered, tugging at his hair.

“Ouch. If you were into hair pulling you could’ve just told me,” he laughed, standing up to kiss her, her taste on his lips.

A gin bloomed across her face, and she felt… genuinely happy for the first time in months. For the first time since she left Glasgow.

He was a ray of sunshine, sure. But Bobby was more than just a kind, positive, goofy Scottish baker. There was so much more to him than even she thought.

He’d been through so much pain, but he was so fucking forgiving. A fatal flaw in most – but for him it was one of the most endearing parts of him.

Bobby was exactly like a ray of sunshine. Something you wanted to soak up, bask in, and enjoy. 

The absence of sunshine, of Bobby, was too much to bear for her. She was going through withdrawals without him. Maybe it was fate’s way of telling her that she needed him and without him she’d feel incomplete.

“I doubt I have any condoms here,” he said, turning away to head to the desk.

“No, we don’t need it. I’m fine without it, if you are,” she breathed, still propped up on her elbows.

“Are you sure? This is a huge step,” Bobby asked, stepping back into his spot between her legs, his tip grazing her leg.

“I need to feel you again, Bobby.”

He grabbed her bare hip with one hand, the other one pulling her loose t-shirt over her chest, just barely exposing her tits. Kissing and nipping at her skin, he helped her tug the shirt over her head, tossing it to the side.

The awestruck look on his face was something Sofia wasn’t expecting. His eyes mapped trails down her body, settling on each part of her like it was land to be explored, something he wanted to stake his claim on.

“Sofia… you’re so beautiful,” he sighed, brows furrowing. “I don’t know how I got so lucky.”

Wordlessly, she traced the skin underneath his shirt, fingertips dancing over the ridges between his muscles like a map of her own. She helped him slip his shirt off, leaning in to pepper kisses across his chest and collarbones, his freckles like a map of the galaxy, the stars spattered beautifully across his tawny skin.

“You’re so beautiful, Bobs… No one in this universe is as gorgeous as you,” she murmured between kisses, curling her arms underneath his, hands palming his back muscles.

She tipped her chin up to kiss him, this one soft and slow, languid and passionate – a kiss shared between lovers who wanted to spill unspoken secrets through their own language.

Scooting her ass to the edge of the table, he pumped himself a few times before teasing her with his head, the gentle stroke of his skin against hers enough to make her moan.

God, how she missed his touch. His smell. His laugh. His eyes. Everything.

He guided himself inside of her at an agonizingly slow, letting her adjust to every inch of him. She hooked her arms around his neck, burying her head into the crook of her arm, the delectable ache of herself stretching to accommodating him too much to bear. 

“Fuck,” she whispered, sinking her teeth into her arm to keep herself from being too loud.

“There’s no one here, lass. Let me hear you,” he said, a familiar raspiness in his tone. “Let me see you.”

He laced his fingers through her curls, pulling her head back, the other wrapped firmly around her waist, fingertips digging into her hip. “You feel so good,” he groaned, finally bottoming out inside of her.

He waited for her to adjust, but Sofia couldn’t bear it, shifting her hips.

And as soon as she did that, it prompted him to grind his own, pumping slowly in and out of her.

“Oh, shit – oh my god –” she whined, brows furrowed. His half lidded gaze was trained on her own, neither of them breaking eye contact as he fucked her slowly, steadily, with no intention of speeding up.

As much as she wanted him to flip her over and fuck her relentlessly, clawing at her back, tearing at her hair – a rough fuck was one she wanted, but it wasn’t what she needed.

There was something about this time that was different – different than her last time with Bobby, different than any other time she’d hooked up with a stranger.

The connection… the eye contact, the dirty talk, the encouragement, the worship… it was something new entirely.

The heavy rain filled the room with a soft hum, the dim lighting adding a certain ambiance that was more intimate than she could’ve anticipated.

And Bobby? He was everywhere. Every one of her senses was encompassed by him.

The smell of his cologne, the taste of his skin, the sound of his raspy moans, the sight of his face contorting in pleasure (his eyes never leaving hers), the feeling of his cock buried inside of her – he engulfed her.

They stayed like that for a while, their hands re-familiarizing themselves with each other, their eyes trained on each other, like they couldn’t look away.

He barely picked up speed, choosing to fuck her like he’d never have the chance again.

And when he twisted his hips more upward, hitting her at a new angle, she cried out, digging her nails into his back like she wanted to mark him as hers.

“Fuck, Bobby, I’m so fucking close –” she breathed, grinding her hips to meet his.

“Me too, Sofe – shit –” he panted, snaking a hand between them to tease her clit again. “You’re doing so good, baby. Please come for me.”

She focused on his voice, chanting words of affirmation in her ear. As soon as she began clenching around him, she felt him throb inside of her, getting closer and closer to his own release.

His face was confused when she pushed him backwards, but only momentarily, his face relaxing when her lips slid down his shaft.

She moaned as his hips snapped into her mouth, bringing him to his climax, unabashedly crying out her name followed by expletives. “Oh my god, fuck,” he wheezed as she pulled back and pumped him, licking the last few drops from his tip.

He tugged her from her squatting position, capturing her in a searing kiss. “God, I missed you,” he murmured against her lips, arms wrapped around her shoulders, like he was afraid to let her go.

“I missed you too, Bobs,” she said, pulling back to search his familiar liquid gold irises.

––––

They sat on the counter together, backs propped up against the wall, Sofia’s head laid on his shoulder, their limbs entangled even on the small countertop.

“So… what do we do from here?” He asked, a small smile playing at the corner of his lips.

“I don’t care what we are as long as we’re in each other’s lives,” she said, kissing his shirt.

“Well if it’s not too hasty I think i’d want a little bit more than that,” he laughed, squeezing her against his side.

“Like what?”

“I dunno. Maybe you could be my girlfriend or something,” he shrugged, looking straight ahead. He grinned, glancing over at her. “What a shitty way to ask, amirite?”

The ghost of the old Bobby was still there, shining through in his little quips. Thank god for that, she thought to herself.

“I’d like that a lot,” she said, leaning in to press a kiss on his cheek. “I like  _ you _ a lot.”

“Imagine if you just didn’t like me that much and you went through an Ocean’s 6 type of deal. That’d be crazy.”

“They steal stuff in the Oceans movies,” she laughed, leaning back to get a good look at him.

“Well, you stole my heart,” he chuckled, reaching over to tap her nose with his finger, just like old times.

They cuddled for a while longer, trying to catch each other up, goofing off and sharing sweet kisses between conversations. The rain was still heavy, and their phones were still dead. But they’d be damned if they weren’t going to seize the opportunity to sort things out without anyone getting in the way.

“You know… I had a weird theory, if you don’t mind me telling you about it,” Sofia murmured, eyelids getting heavy.

“Sure, go ahead,” he whispered, rubbing his hand up and down her arm in light strokes, nearly lulling her to sleep.

“I was convinced that the reason we met was because of fate. Like, the universe put you in my path for a reason, you know?”

“Yeah,” Bobby said, shooting her an adoring look she didn’t think much of because she was half asleep.

“I fought it tooth and nail because I thought I didn’t deserve it, and that I’d get in my own way, which just made it so much worse for myself,” she sighed, draping her hand across his torso.

“I thought I was fucking with my own destiny so it didn’t matter, but I think I was wrong. I was interfering with both of our paths. I think there’s a reason I ran into the sign and tripped in front of your bakery, and I’m glad that happened again tonight,” she mumbled, nearly trailing off. “I didn’t think I’d get a second chance,” she added.

“You’re my fate,” Sofia said, under her breath, fading out of consciousness.

Bobby’s vision blurred, thankful that Sofia was slipping into a deep sleep. A few tears spilled out, his chest shaking softly because of his quiet sobs.

She was everything he wanted and needed, and she was back in his life.

He’d been going through the motions, flinging himself into work until the moment he met her. He felt like he’d been rerouted, his purpose restored – even if it was chasing after a girl he knew he couldn’t have for a while.

And after a long, unsure, anxiety-inducing wait – one that felt all too familiar – he had her back.

The last time he’d been in that low of a place, he was on edge with his ex, wondering how she felt about him, wondering if she’d crawl back to him, wondering if the relationship was worth fighting for.

But with Sofia, when they reunited, he knew. She wanted him, and he wanted her. There were no questions or uncertainties.

They were finally on the same page, their reunion a product of the sheer force of the universe slotting puzzle pieces together, fitting them together in their rightful places.

He tugged her closer, amazed at how gorgeous she looked when she slept, his mind wandering to their first meeting, their first date, their road trip, their skip day, their first time… 

He leaned in to kiss her hair, a stray tear plopping onto her head. He thanked the universe for Sofia’s clumsiness, his friendliness, and her stubbornness. They wouldn’t have been the same people without those moments, their love story interwoven with every beautiful memory, every painful one.

And as he watched her chest rise and fall, a peaceful look on her features, he realized he didn’t regret a single moment.

“And you’re mine,” he whispered, tucking a stray curl behind her ear.

––––

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> well, this is pretty much the end, ladies, gaydies, and theydies. i'm planning on writing an epilogue as a little glimpse into the future, but as for the main story, this is it!
> 
> i can't tell you how much this story's meant to me. it's a sloppy messy brain child of mine that i'm a little embarrassed about writing, but it's MY story, and it's the first time i brought a fleshed out idea to life. i've never written fanfiction before, but i've always enjoyed writing – bobby and litg compelled me to write for the first time. and that's something i'm always going to be grateful to this fandom for. for being interested in this story and encouraging me when i was at an absolute lowpoint. (don't clown me for being bad at writing at the beginning of this fic – i've grown a lot this year and i'm way different than i was when i started this fic)
> 
> thank you, sincerely, from the bottom of my heart, to anyone who's ever read this fic. i cannot thank you enough for being supportive of me despite how messy and inconsistent i was for like... 8-9 months LMAO. i've reread every single comment i've gotten at least five times already, and to any person who's ever commented, i wish i could give you a hug, seriously. not to be all sappy, but i've been in a rough place for a while, and this fic and the response i got was kind of a serotonin boost and some validation i needed to make myself feel like i wasn't entirely useless KDSFJKSDK
> 
> anyways, im sorry this is so long, but i sincerely hope you've enjoyed the end of bobby and sofia's saga! if there's anything you'd want fleshed out, please let me know! i'm open to adding a few scenes at the end of their domestic life, maybe some little cut scenes of what bobby was up to during that time, maybe poppy x jonno stuff – honestly, whatever you want me to write, please tell me (in a comment or on tumblr)! part of me doesn't want this little world i've created to die KSDJKFDS
> 
> also this is a little messy bc i wrote most of it in one go because i've been in my feels, so if there are any glaring errors im sorry 


	14. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> His eyes swiped over his friends, landing on each of them before settling on Sofia, her gap-toothed grin the brightest in the room.
> 
> Lucky. He was just so goddamned lucky.
> 
> It took him a quarter of a century to get everything he’d ever wanted. In a way shorter amount of time than most people.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> surprise! here's a lil fluffy epilogue because tis the season :) this was just straight up fluff and tbh ? i loved writing it !!!! bobby and sofia finally not suffering ? love that for them <3 SKDJFKSJDFKJ anyways, i teased some possible extras that i might add (chelsea x logan x brodie love triangle and poppy x jonno) but i'm not sure if i'll ever get around to it bc i'm not sure anyone wants it LMAO - may get around to that someday, but as for now this is the official end !!! very bittersweet but i'm so so so happy to officially be finished :) i love bobby and sofia so much and they're FINALLY together and happy <3

_ **Months later, sometime that summer** _

“Rock, Paper, Scissors! Fuck, why are you so good at this?” Bobby cackled, grabbing her fist and pulling her into a hug.

She’d won best two out of three with rock – she won nearly every time they played. She wondered why he insisted on playing when he lost every time. Maybe he just liked to hear her laugh maniacally when she punched his fingers, held out to mimic scissors.

“I don’t know, Bobs. Maybe my luck’s just changed,” she smiled, tilting her head up to press a soft kiss to his chin.

“Aw, lass, how cute,” he grinned back, leaning in to kiss her deeply. “Breaking in the kitchen it is.”

“Sorry, I know you wanted takeaway,” she said, snuggling into his side on their couch.

_ Their _ couch. It still didn’t feel real.

Once they’d reunited, it was like they were home. The final puzzle piece slid into place – the gap they were both yearning to fill was finally full.

Summer in Scotland was less dreary than she thought, but that particular day was rainy. Both the worst day and best day for the typical Glasgow weather.

Bad because it was Bobby’s birthday, but great because it was perfect unpacking weather. By the time they’d finally moved all of their boxed belongings and furniture into the new flat, it was nighttime, and Sofia was exhausted – driving a moving truck from London to Glasgow was tough work, especially when she didn’t have her road trip buddy by her side.

They’d barely blown up the air mattress by the time they passed out under a stray blanket Bobby had in his car.

That morning they’d woken up entangled in each other limbs, in  _ their _ flat.

After brewing a cuppa, they’d decided to play a game of rock, paper, scissors to figure out if they should order breakfast or if Bobby should try to attempt to make breakfast with what they’d managed to bring over from his old flat.

Bobby’s phone rang, breaking them out of the kiss. He tapped his screen, keeping eye contact with her. “Hello?”

He leaned in to press a kiss to her nose. “Aye, what do you need, Jonno?”

She smiled as his fingers twirled around a loose curl, his gaze still trained on her face, his expression mirroring her own. It broke pretty immediately, a frown tugging at his mouth. “You sure I need to come in today of all days? Is it that much of an emergency?”

Whatever Jonno said made his eyes widen. “Be there as soon as I can.”

As he hung up, Sofia wrapped her arms around him. “What’s wrong, Bobs?”

“Ah, just some work shit. I’ll try to be in and out though,” he said, leaning in to kiss her on the lips before standing from the couch. “Be right back.”

When he left the room, she grinned to herself, ecstatic that the plan was in motion.

Her groupchat with Poppy, Chelsea, Jonno, Logan and Brodie still existed but was only used for special occasions. Everyone stayed in touch, but communication had faltered after Bobby and Sofia’s reunion.

Sofia had used Bobby’s birthday as a reason to get the gang back together.

The minute she found out that their move-in date had coincidentally fallen on his birthday, the plan was hatched, with the help of Poppy. They’d jokingly said that the best part about their friend group is that it always came together like a team of criminals for a heist.

Jonno came through with the distraction – related to the bakery, as usual – and the rest of the group were showing up with some of Bobby’s other friends to help put the rest of it in action.

Bobby was gonna be sent on a wild goose chase around Glasgow for the worst client in the world, while their friends unpacked their apartment and prepped for a surprise party.

Sofia knew she’d never be able to top his Hooky Day from the fall, but she’d be damned if she didn’t try.

Bobby reentered the living room, stepping around the boxes. “C’mere. I gotta go.”

She wrapped her arms around his neck from her place on the couch, kissing him deeply. She pressed her forehead against his, squeezing him tighter. “Happy Birthday, Bobby. I love you.”

He grinned, grabbing her face and kissing every inch of her face while she giggled uncontrollably. “God, I’m never gonna get tired of hearing that. I love you more, Sofe.”

“Not possible,” she said, her laugh cut off by another kiss on the lips.

“Bye, lass,” he waved, opening the door. He stopped in the doorway, looking back to drink her in one more time, her full figure casually strewn across his couch something he’d never get used to.

His dream girl. His dream flat. His dream job. His dream life.

His grin widened as she waved, blowing him a kiss. “Hurry back.”

“You know I will,” he said, slipping out the door.

–––

“Jonno! You’re fucking doing it wrong,” Poppy criticized, voice raised, flinging her arms up in frustration.

“What the fuck am I doing wrong? I’m following the instructions!” He growled, pointing at the crumpled up pamphlet in front of him.

They’d been hunched over the same desk for thirty minutes, the complex design leading them to yet another argument.

Since they’d started sleeping with each other, they couldn’t stand being apart from each other, but they always argued over harmless petty shit, and it was always entertaining for the group.

“Hey, hey, it’s fine! You’re trying, and that’s all that matters,” Sofia said, patting both of them on the back.

“That’s the kind of shit someone would say to a four-year-old who just drew a stick figure cat with a purple crayon,” Poppy huffed, snatching the directions from Jonno’s hands.

“Give that back! I wasn’t finished –”

“You’re finished,” she shook her head, skimming over the directions.

“Fuck off, Popcorn,” he grumbled, leaning over her shoulder to read along, his hand coming to rest on her waist, his chin nearly touching her shoulder.

“Don’t call me that,” she said glancing over at him, a smile tugging at her lips.

“Oh yeah? Or what?” He grinned, wrapping his other hand around her waist.

“Oooookay, I think you’ve gotten that all sorted out,” Sofia said awkwardly, turning around to book it out of her bedroom, thankful that the mattress was still propped up against the wall.

She surveyed the living room, finding Chelsea gently ordering some of Bobby’s friends around.

Chelsea had been focused on rearranging the closets and decorating the living room and bedrooms, deeply in her interior design zone. She hadn’t asked for a dime from Bobby or Sofia – she was just happy they were together. 

She turned suddenly, gaze settling on Sofia standing in the main area near the door. “Hey, babes! Do you like it so far? I have a few backup ideas just in case, but this is my favorite.”

Chelsea had bounded over to her, wrapping her in a hug.

“Oh yeah, for sure, this is gorgeous so far. I don’t know how you manage. You need to share some of that big brain with us,” Sofia joked, squeezing her back.

“Oh, this is nothing. I have some backup stuff in my car if you change your mind though. I always have an emergency kit in my car,” she said, pulling back to walk across the room. “I’ll catch up with you in a bit. Gotta rearrange these frames!”

Before she could make herself useful by decorating the kitchen and dining room for the party, the door flew open, two familiar faces striding through it.

Logan and Brodie hobbled over to the kitchen, their arms full of bags from the grocery store and some bags from a small party store that Bobby had talked about wanting to buy their Halloween costumes from before.

“Whew, one trip,” Brodie grinned after dropping the bags, shaking his arms out.

Logan did the same, rubbing his hand around his wrist. “Is the refrigerator plugged in? I got his favorite ice cream sandwiches.”

“Oh yeah, let me help you,” she said, beginning to rummage through the bags on the counter.

Logan and her began unpacking the bags side by side, the silence amidst the chaotic house comfortable. It’d been difficult, but Logan had come around, and surprisingly, Sofia was pretty close to him. 

He’d been a key factor in their bakery’s initiative to get more involved with worldly issues. Logan had a soft spot for do-gooders, which was probably the reason he forgave Sofia so quickly.

After they’d gotten on friendly terms, he was the one spearheading the introduction of their specialty “green cakes” which were Earth themed and vegan – the best part? All of the proceeds went to the nonprofit Sofia worked at.

It was also part of the reason she was in Glasgow.

Right after both she and Bobby had been berated by their friends for fucking in the office, she was pulled aside by her boss and chewed out for leaving. She expected it, but it annoyed her regardless.

She was sure that she’s ruined her chances of ever getting a promotion and a raise – not that any of that meant anything to her anymore. She had Bobby, so she cared a lot less about what her boss thought of her. She had the man of her dreams.   
  
One day, after she’d secured the green cake deal with Bobby’s Bakery, her boss had called her into her office – Sofia was sure she was getting fired.

Instead, she was offered a promotion – a raise with a relocation.

“Head events coordinator at the Glasgow branch,” her boss said.

That year had been so successful for their branch that they decided to expand, starting with a new, tiny office in the heart of Glasgow.

From the moment her and Bobby made up, her luck was great. Perfect, even.

It took awhile for them to get the small office and the staff situated, so they had to do long distance for months.

Once she broke the news to Bobby, without hesitation, he suggested they move in together. He insisted, like before, it was the universe sending them a sign.

So she took it. And months later, on the eve of Bobby’s birthday, she’d packed her life up in a moving truck and drove into her future with him, listening to the exact same playlist that she’d played the first time she drove to Glasgow with him.

It was a euphoric feeling, knowing that everything had fallen into place.

Sofia smiled to herself, shaking her head as she pulled out a cheap pin the tail on the donkey game.

“What is it, Sofe?” Logan murmured from next to her, packing food on the top shelf.

“Nothing, I’m just lucky.”

–––

Bobby slipped into his car for the last time that day, crumpling up the wild to-do list that Jonno forwarded to him on behalf of the client.

He sighed, turning the ignition. God, all he wanted to do was be home. Settle in on the couch with Sofia. Have her play with his locs while they watched a movie they’d seen a million times.

The sun set above him as he merged onto the highway, and his mind wandered.

His dream girl was waiting for him at home.

He didn’t know how he got so lucky.

They were able to start their life together, finally. The stars had aligned yet again when she got offered a job at a new branch in Glasgow.

Long distance was difficult, but they were able to hold out, considering it was only for a couple months before she packed up and moved to Scotland.

He didn’t care that most of his birthday was spent away from her. All that mattered to him was that he’d woken up next to her, the soft morning kisses and cuddles solidifying how absolutely perfect his life was beginning to be.

He stopped by a liquor store on the way home, grabbing her favorite tequila so they could get a little buzzed before bed.

He pulled into the complex, getting out of the car and walking up the stairs. He hummed a tune to himself as he fiddled with his keys, tucking the bottle of tequila underneath his arm.

When he pushed the door open, the room was pitch black, which he thought was weird. He stepped inside, closing the door quietly behind him, assuming that she’d just fallen asleep.

But when he flicked the lights on, he didn’t expect to see a dozen of his closest friends in party hats popping out from behind his fully unpacked flat.

A chorus of “surprises” rang out through the flat, Sofia’s smiling face at the forefront, her voice ringing out, the voice he focused on the most.

She ran towards him, wrapping him in a tight hug, planting a kiss on his cheek, staining it with her signature red.

“Happy birthday, baby!” She pulled back, grinning.

His vision blurred, eyes watering slightly. He blinked, using his free hand to scrub his eyes. “Shit.”

“Awe, Bobs,” she whispered, wiping a stray tear away.

“This is the nicest thing any girl’s ever done for me.”

“Well, get used to it,” she giggled, kissing him again.

Ever since they made it official, they were all kisses and PDA – they were probably the most fucking annoying couple on the planet, but they didn’t care. 

Strong arms wrapped them up in a hug, squeezing them tightly. “Happy birthday, grandpa!” Jonno boomed, using his other hand to twist his knuckles into Bobby’s scalp.

“Aye, fuck off Jonno,” he laughed, using one hand to shove him away, the other draped low on Sofia’s waist.

The rest of the partygoers walked up, giving him hugs and sharing their birthday wishes.

While he was preoccupied, Sofia scurried to the kitchen to grab the baking sheet, covered with cupcakes. The bordering cupcakes were covered in yellow icing, and the inner ones, which formed the numbers ‘25’ were a light purple. Each one had individual mini bottles of alcohol in them, the neck buried into the cake.

The group formed around him parted, and she walked straight up to him, cradling the cupcakes. His eyes widened at the spread. “Oh, it’s  _ that _ kind of night, lass?”

Jonno lit the candles, grinning. “You only turn twenty-five once, grandpa.”

Before Bobby could protest, Jonno led the group in singing happy birthday to him, the chorus of out of tune voices reverberating throughout the flat.

Bobby shook his head, unable to hold his smile back. How he managed to have friends who exclusively sucked at singing, he didn’t know. He was thankful, though.

His eyes swiped over his friends, landing on each of them before settling on Sofia, her gap-toothed grin the brightest in the room.

Lucky. He was just so goddamned lucky.

It took him a quarter of a century to get everything he’d ever wanted. In a way shorter amount of time than most people.

The light from the candles lit her features, her spattering of freckles more prominent in the orange tinted light. Her eyes were bright, crinkled at the edges.

Since they’d started seeing each other, she smiled with her whole body. From the toothy grin to her uplifted posture, her entire body changed without realizing it.

And she was so fucking gorgeous when she did it.

“Make a wish, Bobbo,” Brodie yelled over claps and cheers.

He didn’t have anything else to wish for. Everything he wanted was in that room. Incredible friends, amazing coworkers, a found family, a beautiful home, and an even more beautiful girlfriend.

He closed his eyes, dramatically scrunching his face up, before blowing the candles out in one puff.

They cheered again, Sofia sliding the baking sheet onto the table so that people could grab their boozy cupcakes.

She snatched both of theirs, handing one to Bobby as soon as she made her way away from the small crowd to his place near the door. He hadn’t moved much since he walked in.

“Here you go, babes,” she said, leaning in to give him a soft peck on his other cheek, staining it with another outline of her lips.

“What, are you not gonna ask me what I wished for?” He teased, taking a bite out of the side, catching the tiny bottle before it tumbled to the ground.

She shrugged, dragging her tongue through the center of the icing. “I want it to come true,” she said through a mouthful of buttercream.

“Ah, that’s true. Nice thinking, lass. Wouldn’t wanna anger the higher ups and fuck everything up,” he laughed, tipping the bottle back and chasing his cake with the rum.

“Good thinking?  _ Great _ thinking.”

“I’ll give credit where credit’s due,” he said, kissing the top of her head.

They stood pressed up against the wall as everyone ate cake and mingled, their large living room spacious enough for a makeshift dance floor.

Chelsea danced offbeat near the surround system framing their television, a huge smile on her face as she downed a shot.

Brodie and Logan were dancing nearby with a couple other people, stealing glances at Chelsea.

“How long do you think it’ll be before Chels gets a clue?” Bobby laughed as Chelsea wiggled against Brodie unsexily, borderline platonically.

“Oh she won’t know until they crack under the pressure and spell it out for her,” Sofia giggled, surveying a blissfully ignorant Chelsea as the two boys tried tearing their gaze away from her to focus on the other girls at the party.

Sofia nudged Bobby with an elbow. “Here’s a better question – which one is gonna admit their feelings for each other first?”

Bobby followed Sofia’s gaze, settling on Poppy throwing her head back and cackling while talking to Jonno, resting her hand on his arm.

Everyone knew they were fucking, and it wasn’t a secret. But they clearly felt more for each other – it wasn’t just sex anymore.

“Jonno, for sure,” he said, grinning. “He’s too much of a softie. He’s gonna crack and say it when they’re drunk for sure.”

“I’d wager a nice dinner on Poppy,” Sofia said, tossing back her shot. “She’s way too fierce to hold back when she’s made up her mind about someone.”

“Oh, we’re betting now?” Bobby asked, quirking a brow. “What are we betting? They won’t admit that tonight. How about, who’ll kiss who kiss first?”

“My money’s still on Poppy.”

“Mine’s on Jonno. What’s the loser gotta do, lass?”

Sofia’s smile grew into a smirk. She scooched forward, wrapping her arms around his waist, leaning in to speak directly into his ear, her lips grazing her earlobe.

Fuck, by the end of the night he was gonna be stained head to toe in red lipstick. He didn’t mind it though.

“Loser’s gotta get on their knees,” she said just loud enough for them two to hear, her hair tickling his face.

“Sofe… what the hell are you doing to me?” He all but groaned, nodding.

The party went on, and they drank tequila shots and beer, maintaining their buzz.

And when Poppy leaned in to press a sensual kiss on Jonno’s lips, Bobby grinned. “You wanna cash in on that bet now?”

Sofia’s eyes widened. “I mean, I won’t say no because it’s your birthday, Bobs, but do you want to do that… right now?”

He nodded, kissing her jaw. “Ah, we’ll only be gone for a few minutes.”

She raised a brow. “You’re that confident you can make me cum that fast?”

He laughed raspily, nodding again. “Can’t believe you have no confidence in me,” he teased, lacing his fingers through hers and leading her down their long hallway to their master bedroom.

He closed the door behind them, locking it swiftly. “They won’t even miss us.”

She giggled as he picked her up over his shoulder and tossed her onto the bed.

Hair framing her face like a soft brown halo of curls, cheeks flushed from alcohol, legs spread invitingly – it was one of his favorite sights. “You’re so beautiful, Sofia.”

When he said her name instead of her nickname, they knew he was being serious about what he’d said.

“ _ You’re _ beautiful, Bobby. I love you,” she said as he sunk to his knees in front of the mattress, tugging her thighs to the edge.

“I love you more,” he murmured against her skin as he trailed kisses along the inside of her leg. When he got to her skirt, he pushed it higher, revealing her lace thong – the one that drove him crazy.

He glanced up to find her on her elbows, grinning at him. “Wore ‘em just for you.”

“You could wear that girdle of yours and be sexy, lass.”

She rolled her eyes. “It’s spanx, Bobby. Not a girdle. A huge difference.”

“Uh huh. Granny,” he teased, hooking a finger in the crotch of her underwear and pulling it to the side, taking a second to admire his meal.

“Fuckin’ perfect,” he sighed, before leaning in to kiss her gently, before drawing a long, soft swipe across her lips, prodding her legs to open wider.

“Bobby…” she sighed, head dipping to rest on her shoulder as he went to work. “You don’t have to do this, you know,” she breathed, trying to concentrate on her words as he hooked his arms around her thighs.

“I want to.”

“But it’s your birthday.”

“And you did all of this for me. Let me give you this gift,” he said sincerely, looking her directly in her half lidded eyes as he delved into her with his tongue, a whiny moan slipping past her lips.

As she writhed underneath his grip, he briefly thought back to his wish.

_ I wish everything would stay the same – exactly like this.  _

He could handle a few more quarter centuries as long as he had Sofia.

––––


End file.
